After Battle Battle High
by Road-Kamelot01-Light-Lilly
Summary: What do Sora and the others do after the Government is taken down? They adjust to new life, how will they all adjust to normal life when they themselves aren't normal? Let's find out in the After Story, there are still deep secrets hidden. Is the government showing signs of coming back? The sequel to Battle High, Run as Fast as you can is coming soon, keep a lookout and find out.
1. After Battle 1

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle one**

**Welcome back to Battle High**

"Well, just stand over there for now, you'll see the treatment that Sora gives them," said Artemis as he led them to watch her from the shade of the trees on campus.

Sora saw a boy and girl walking towards the school already saying how they could beat anyone and all that other crap that got them into their first fight. Sora walked right up to them, "So you think you can defeat anyone here?," Sora asked them. Cloud watched with interest. He wondered why none of these kids were scared. Did everyone think they were the best? They really didn't anticipate that someone very dangerous would be there? Idiots.

The two of them looked at Sora. But that look of confusion quickly faded and turned into confidence, Sora saw their expressions change and quickly slapped the girl across the face. "Don't get too cocky, it might land you a fight with me you stupid brats," Sora told them icily.

The girl staggered back and glared at the mysterious chick in front of her. "What, you think just since you've been here a while that there aren't people better than you?" she challenged.

Kirai tried to shoot her a warning look, but she didn't seem to get it. She did however smile at him and waved a little Kirai sighed. Was this chick really trying to hit on him while his girlfriend was already about to kill her?

Sora looked at the girl and noticed when she waved to Kirai and then glared at the girl and grabbed her by the front of her collar roughly. "Your new...Heres the first thing you get here...A Fight. I challenge you today after lunch and the whole school is gonna watch. And stay away from him. He's my boyfriend if you even try a damned thing; you'll find your throat slit before the fight even begins," Sora growled at her.

Then Sora tossed her back and onto the ground roughly and made sure the girl got a few scratches in the process. The other kids who had been there longer, soon noticed Sora and everyone except one, started to talk about her return after so long. She flipped her hair out of her eyes and didn't acknowledge the cuts she'd received. Kirai gave her an apologetic shrug, but it was ruined by the fact that he was smiling slightly.

The girl glared up at Sora. "You're on."

Cloud sighed with a small smirk as he watched the scene. "Kirai's got it easy here, I see."

Sora glared at the girl, "And if you still like living...Stay away from him. I mean it," growled Sora as she started to look back at Alex and Kirai.

"Oh..and your little friend can't help you..unless your afraid to fight without him," Sora taunted.

Artemis laughed a bit, "Yes he does, she protected almost from the very beginning," he explained. It wasn't long until the talking reached the outside of the school and some of the senior students raced up to a few new kids to tell them to stay away.

"Sora is back"

"I thought someone was messing with me"

"Shes going to take out the new top in five minutes"

"Not before she kills that kid"

"Yeah for messing with her and Kirai already..hes lucky he never had to actually fight her"

"I'm not afraid," she growled, although her feelings were very much the opposite. She looked at the guy behind this Sora person for a second before standing up and returning to her friend, smoothing out the fabric of her skirt. "Well that was annoying."

Cloud looked around when everyone started gossiping. "They are quite famous," he said, stating the obvious.

"No shit Sherlock.." Prism looked at him with an evil look in her eyes. "Wanna go be creepy?"

Cloud laughed and patted her head lightly. "Not yet dear."

"Awwwh."

Sora looked at the girl and her friend and started to walk next to Kirai and kissed him before she started to lead the two of them away from the two new kids.

"That little brat won't come out alive..I'll make sure of that," Sora growled as she walked off in annoyance.

"She is pretty well known here, she hasn't lost a fight here since she was a freshman to be honest," said Artemis. Kirai laughed at her anger. "She just waved at me," he pointed out. It really wasn't that bad.

Or was it? He wouldn't know. This was his first relationship.

"Not even to you?" Cloud asked, tilting his head curiously. He'd always wondered who was better at fighting, Artemis or Sora.

Prism poked Cloud repetitively, not caring that he was trying to talk to Artemis. "Come ooonnnnnn, we can totally freak them out. Like, you go up there, and get into a fight, and then I show up, and they'll be like 'WOAAAH THERE'S TWO! OH-EM-GEE!'," she said enthusiastically. "No. Bad. Thats bad...shes trying to hit on you and yet you think thats okay?...Well she won't live long enough to try that again with me around," Sora growled. Alex was only following; this was just basically a test run of this school before he was sent to try out a public school first.

"Well..I lost a few times, but she lost way more in her freshman year believe it or not," Artemis told him. Kirai didn't say anything, just smiled and shook his head. He'd forgotten how protective she was of him.

"Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. Cloud. CLOUD." Prism punctuated each word with a poke, and they were quickly becoming forceful enough to leave a bruise.

"Jesus Prism!"

"I wanna scare themmm!"

"Oh my god," Cloud grumbled. He picked up his sword off the ground and walked towards the school. "Yaaaaaay!" Prism cheered as she followed him. Artemis laughed as he watched them walk away because of Prism and wanting to scare the people at the school.

~lunchtime~

Sora waited in the fighting area for the girl to arrive and sighed in boredom when she hadn't arrived yet, "Sloooooooooowwww all of them," she said out loud.

Artemis laughed when he saw her getting impatient as always. "Well can you blame her? She just threw herself into a fight with the top fighter in the school.. if I was her id take my sweet time," Kirai said.

"Speak of the devil," Cloud whispered with a smirk. This was going to be amusing.

She walked in with her friend by her side. She glared at Sora and stood by the edge of the arena. Artemis saw her and laughed, "This won't take long..and I bet shes going to end it faster with her new trick," said Artemis calmly.

Sora saw the girl and smiled, "Glad you finally made it new kid," Sora said calmly.

The boy looked at his friend, "You know..I heard she kills her opponents in a fight," he told his friend. She shrugged and pulled out a pair of daggers with confidence. "We can test that theory, then," she said to him. She walked farther into the arena and glared at Sora, throwing her guard up and making sure she watched her carefully.

Sora rolled her eyes and walked into the arena calmly and left her sword untouched.

"You can make the first move since your new," Sora said in an off tone. Alex could already see what Sora was planning and smiled. The girl glared at Sora for a few more seconds and then rushed at her, completely underestimating Sora's abilities.

Prism giggled quietly in anticipation. She always loved watching people fight, and this one would be extra fun, since Sora's opponent was rather unskilled. Sora rolled her eyes as the girl rushed her. Sora moved to the side and jumped back a few feet.

"Really? Is that all you've got? Your slow you know that?," Sora told her. Before the girl could regain get composure Sora drew her blade and rushed the girl and gave her several cuts in her arms and legs.

"You can quit now if you want," Sora said. She ignored the stinging pain from the slices and ran at Sora again without responding to her questions, this time jumping up and attempting to come at her from above.

Kirai blinked. "Woww. She's worse than me."

Sora sighed again and just took about five steps to the left and the girl missed her again.

"You suck at this...I'll end this now and let you live and make you learn better," Sora said to the girl. Sora then let her flame appear again and took her blade and cut the girl on her side and on her shoulders deep enough to make her drop her weapons. She stood over the girl and looked down at her calmly.

"Next time. Learn how to fight."

The girl looked up at her wide-eyed, more focused on this fire that appeared out of nowhere. "What..? What are you...?"

"Hmmm...Well you can call me whatever you like..But I'm a Shooter. And remember whos better, because next time, I won't let you live," Sora told her calmly and the flame vanished.

The girl's friend came rushing towards her, "Are you okay?!"

Sora walked back to Kirai and Alex, "Oh and kid...stay away from Kirai and Alex," and with that Sora started to walk away with the two.

"Well crap...shes made that public here but none of the older students are surprised much," laughed Artemis. She shook her head and cringed in the pain that she was suddenly extremely aware of. "No.. not really," she answered through gritted teeth. "Can you help to the n-nurse?"

"I have an underlying suspicion that Kirai is going to let Sora's protection get to him," Cloud whispered to Prism.

She nodded in agreement. "He's gonna get into something neither of them can handle isn't he.."

"Alright, come on...I guess we aren't the best are we?," he asked her.

"He probably is...and if anything something will fuck it up...or he may get them both into something they have never been in," said Artemis. He watched the three of them leave and was afraid of what they could possibly do to screw up even more.

She shook her head. "No. We most certainly are not."

"We'll have to keep an eye on them...but until then!" Prism's tone got happier and she stood up and pulled on Cloud's sleeve. "Lets go scare more newbies!"

"You do realize we ARE newbies, right?" Cloud questioned, not moving, despite her efforts.

"So what? We'd kick all their asses."

Sora led Kirai and Alex around the school in silence almost hoping neither of them would bring up the fight.

Artemis nodded, "You two need to help me keep an eye on her and as for you Taiki...you can go home if you want," Artemis told him. Kirai looked around. "Hey where are we going exactly?" He wasn't sure why they were wandering around.

"That's exactly what I planned to do~" Taiki answered. He waved at them all. "Tell Kirai not to kill himself," he said, walking out of the arena and heading to his old school. "To the roof of course, the only place to escape this all and to let Alex see the whole school," said Sora.

"Alright, we'll try and see you every now and again if we can, were still not allowed off our school campus without guards if your from this school," laughed Artemis. "Oh." Kirai remembered going on the roof. It was where he'd said something that he couldn't quite remember, and Sora had told him to stop acting like a girl with his niceness. He smiled as he remembered. They'd changed a lot since then.

Prism poked Cloud with the tip of her sword. "Get up you lazy ass."

"Nooo. Go scare people yourself," he said, pushing her sword away with one of his knives that he'd been twirling absentmindedly.

"Ugggghhhh. Fine," she said unenthusiastically, and trudged off. "But it's not as fun with just one person!," she called back as she walked off.

"That's what she said!"

"SHUT UP!"


	2. After Battle 2

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle two**

**Finding the new top student**

Sora led the way back up to the roof and opened the door to let Alex look over it first. He had no idea what to say at that point and had no words.

"He's speechless," laughed Sora.

Artemis watched a several new kids tried to look over their shoulder for Sora and the new top that had taken her place in her absence.

"Wonder who the new top here is?"

Kirai looked around. This was a pretty big school. He hadn't really noticed in his two days here. He could imagine Alex's surprise.

Cloud sighed. "I dunno, but I hope they don't think they're too awesome.. or else Sora and whoever it is are gonna have quite an interesting fight."

"What if it's someone we know?" Primrose wondered.

"I doubt it."

Alex just stared at the school, he didn't think this place was that big from what they had told him about. Now he wondered how big public school got.

"It could be..I mean there were a few people who were close to her remember?," said Artemis with a sigh. He looked at all the seniors passing by and wondered who was the new top.

"hmmm...makes me wanna find out now," he laughed. Cloud shrugged. "Start asking people."

He looked around and called over to the nearest newbie. "Hey, kid! Who's at the top here? Other than Sora?" he asked the stranger. Artemis smacked Cloud behind the head. "Your not even enrolled here and yet already ask the new kids?..They barely even know smart one," sighed Artemis. Cloud rubbed the back of his head. "Well everyone seems to know anyway," he grumbled. "And what is it with you and hitting me?"

"Well they only know because of the Seniors ask a senior stupid," laughed Artemis. "And because its kinda fun," Artemis told him as he got to his feet. "It's not fun for mee," Cloud grumbled, debating whether or not to hit him back, but out ruled the idea when he stood up. He'd only be able to reach his leg from here and that was no fun.

He looked around. "Well how do i determine which ones are seniors?"

Artemis laughed at him and looked back to him, "Get off your ass and ask around or just follow me," he said. Artemis started to walk ahead of them slowly leaving them behind in the grass. "Roaaaarrr," Cloud grumbled as he stood up. Primrose jumped up when she realized everyone was leaving.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she and Cloud followed Artemis. "To find the class where the Seniors are, they'll know who the new top kid is," said Artemis as he turned right towards the training area. "Oh," Cloud and Primrose said together. Primrose twirled her hair and looked around. A lot of people were looking at the three of them. She poked Artemis. "Why are they creeping on us..?"

"Hell if I know..ignore them they're just jealous of you and scared of him," Artemis said with a smile. "Scared of me already?" Cloud looked around and laughed. "Guess Prism's having fun then."

Primrose blinked. "Why would they be jealous of me.." she asked cluelessly. There wasn't really anything she was good at to be jealous of. "It could be Prism's fault. And as for you, only you can figure that out I can't sorry about that," said Artemis.

He walked up to a group of seniors who were waiting their turn to spar.

"Ah, it is. I can see her from over here," Cloud said, smiling at the sight of his sister tormenting some defenseless kid. The people watching kept looking over at Cloud and then back at Prism, like they were comparing them. And they probably were.

Primrose looked up at the sky, like it held the answer. That was confusing of him to say. Maybe they were jealous because she was walking with two guys. Or maybe because she was a newbie and hadn't had to fight anyone yet. Artemis sighed when he saw Prism harassing some students.

He turned to the group of seniors and started to ask who the new top student was and find out where they were so Sora could have a look at this kid. "Prism!" Cloud called over to her.

She turned towards the voice. "Whaat?"

"Don't torment him too hard!"

"Why? You want a go at him?" she asked with a giggle.

Cloud shook his head at her from the distance and she laughed. "Fiine~"

Primrose shook her head. "That girl.."

Artemis listened as the senior described to him what the girl looked like and where she was usually found at.

"Thanks, Sora may like to know," he said and he started to walk off towards where he knew Sora would be. "She doesn't sound very intimidating," Cloud said to no one in particular.

"Yeah, that's cause you're Cloud..," Primrose pointed out. "Not many things are scary to you."

"Well neither was Sora until you got your ass kicked by her remember?," laughed Artemis, "Oh and there's Lilly too, remember that too," asked Artemis.

At the same moment Lilly came from behind Cloud and tackled him and started to snuggle him, "Cloud~"

"Hello dear~" Cloud said, not minding being tackled like he normally would've. He'd missed her a lot.

He wondered if she'd remembered what Kirai had announced at the government. She didn't normally remember things that had happened while in her wolf form. Maybe he could avoid talking about that issue for now. "Cllloouuuudddd, someone tried to hit on meeeeee,"Lilly told him in a pouting voice as she held onto him.

Artemis turned when he heard Cloud get tackled, "Come on you two we have to go get Sora," he said to them.

"I do not approve. Did you beat them up?" Cloud asked. He looked up at Artemis. "Do we haave to go with youu?"

"Nope...I bit them...with my canines since they never went away see?," said Lilly. She opened her mouth and showed him her canines.

"Yes you do if you wanna see another fight," laughed Artemis. "Hah. Good girl," Cloud teased, patting her on the head lightly.

He glared up at Artemis. "Maaan. I don't wanna get up," he complained. "And plus it'll be difficult with Lilly on top of me like this."

"Then tickle her off, I bet she is ticklish," Artemis laughed.

Sora turned to Kirai,"...You know...I remember when I bitched you out," giggled Sora. Cloud smiled at the idea and followed his suggestion, tickling Lilly relentlessly. He only hoped this wouldn't backfire. She did know his weakness after all.

Kirai laughed. "Yeah, me too. It was quite scary."

Lilly giggled a bit and started to roll off of him when she tried to roll him over instead and then tried to nip at his neck again.

"But this spot was the one place I never took you to," Sora told him. She looked at him and while Alex wasn't looking she kissed Kirai. "Bad," Cloud scolded playfully, continuing to tickle her and trying to move away from her. He knew his reaction would be a billion times worse with those canine teeth of hers.

And he didn't need to freak out in front of Primrose, and especially not Artemis.

Kirai smiled and kissed her back, until he heard Alex start to turn around and pulled his lips away from hers. He laughed a little. "I forgot he was here," he whispered to Sora. Artemis sighed and started to walk ahead slowly.

Lilly giggled some more until she finally got off of Cloud, "O-okay you w-win," she said to him through laughing. Her canines were showing as she laughed, it was going to be hard to hide those in any school.

Sora glanced slightly and blushed a bit when she saw Alex, he saw the moment when they broke the kiss.

"Did I ruin something?"

"Damn right I do," Cloud confirmed, seizing the tickling and sitting up. "I am Cloud. I always win~" he teased, sticking his tongue out at Lilly playfully.

Kirai nodded at Alex. "Yes, but we'll forgive you if you don't tease us a bunch about this."

Lilly pouted at him and when she saw Artemis walking away she started to chase after him.

"Come on!," she called to Cloud and Primrose.

Alex laughed and nodded.

Sora felt her blush get brighter when Alex laughed, she found it weird she had no problem kissing Kirai in public but around Alex it was awkward.

"Hey...Lets go scare that girl from earlier," laughed Sora. Cloud stood up lazily and followed them, not bothering to run to catch up. Primrose walked alongside him and tilted her head at him. "What was she trying to do to you?"

Cloud patted her on the head. "It's a secret."

Kirai shook his head with a smile. "Poor girl. She almost died and now she's about to get the shit scared out of her, isn't she?" he asked with a small laugh. Lilly turned back a bit to glance at Cloud and saw him pat her on the head. She stopped and ran back to Cloud and glomped him; she gave a small glare at Primrose before she started to pull Cloud forward.

"Come oonnn hurry up Clouuuddd~"

Sora grinned, "Yes she is," and started to skip down the stairs and down the hall to the infirmary. Sora started to chant her go away thing again on her way there. "Raaah, why's everyone pulling me today," Cloud asked, not moving just to tease Lilly. Primrose was confused as to why she'd received a glare, but didn't think much of it. Lilly never liked her anyway.

Kirai shot a glance at Alex when she started chanting again. Was she okay? Was she going to go insane again?

"Sora huh? Hmph." An all-too-confident girl rolled her eyes at the familiar name. "I remember her. She had just left when I arrived. I can take her," she said with a smirk to her friend.

The small boy sitting next to her doubted her abilities against Sora's, but knew better than to say anything. "Because I caaaannn nooowww moooovvveeee,"pouted Lilly as she tied to keep pulling him along.

Sora looked into the door way when she saw the girl in the bed and skipped right in happily.

"How was my weakest fighter?," she said in a taunting voice and looked at her happily.

Artemis and the others passed by the girl and ignored her since they didn't see her. They made enough noise to seem like they didn't belong at the school at all but still made it obvious that they did.

"So have you guys decided which school you want to go to?," asked Artemis. "Roar," Cloud protested, but he started walking anyway.

She glared up at Sora. "What do you want?"

Kirai tilted his head. "That's not what she asked," he pointed out calmly.

"Not yet," Cloud said once he caught up, playing along. "Its hard to choose," he said, faking inner turmoil. Primrose shook her head. "Me either," she answered, although she barely knew what was going on. Lilly pouted at Cloud.

"If you want. I can finish the job now, "Sora told her with a smile as she made the flame flicker ever so lightly in the light coming into the room.

"Unless..you like living"

"Well you have to pick eventually before I enroll Alex anywhere," Artemis explained to them.

"I don't want him going here if he doesn't want to..but I don't need you two idiots scaring everyone everywhere you go," he sighed.


	3. After Battle 3

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle three **

**Meeting the new top student**

The girl shook her head and hid the amount of fear she was feeling. "No thank you," she replied quietly. "I like living."

"Pfft! We're not idiots all the time," Prism said, having arrived in time to hear the last part. She draped an arm around Cloud's shoulders and poked him, much to his annoyance. "Well this one is."

"You're too hyper," Cloud complained.

"We're going here by the way," Prism told Artemis, deciding for Cloud since she knew he would stay wherever she was. "I thought so...you have a long ways to go weakling," Sora laughed as she let the flame flicker a few more times.

"Alright. Then All I have to do is get Alex to take a tour of a public school and then after that he has to decide which school he likes best," said Artemis. "Why are you here?" the girl asked nervously. She tried to sound like she wasn't afraid, but that was difficult when she really was.

"Alex will probably stay here.. he'll wanna be with Priiismmm~" Cloud teased, poking his twin back. She blushed darkly and glared at him.

"What the fuck who told you?!"

"Taiki~"

"...FUCK HE WAS AWAKE?!"

Cloud nodded with a smirk. "Heard the whole thing~"

"To see if my favorite weakling was okay, what? I can't care?," she asked in that weird tone again. Sora turned and gave her a slight smile through narrowed eyes.

"Oh so someone has a crush on Alex?," said Artemis in a teasing voice. Then he looked up ahead and saw Sora in the window and sighed, "Well, that depends, does his sister approve?," he asked teasingly. The girl blinked and glared at Sora. "No. You can't."

"Someone most certainly does-"

Cloud covered her mouth with his hand before she could finish so it sounded like she was confessing. He laughed when she licked his hand. "Nope. That's not gonna work."

"And she's the one who pushed Alex so that they'd kiss so I'm guessing she does," Cloud answered Artemis. Prism bit his hand multiple times but he didn't release her. "Well if I can't...then I get to kill you then," Sora told her with a smile.

Artemis laughed as he watched the exchange between the two of these siblings, "You sure your related?," he asked with a laugh. He had a hard time accepting this now that they were tormenting each other more than ever. She didn't respond to Sora and looked at Kirai, asking 'what the fuck is her problem?' with her glare. Kirai blinked and glanced at Sora. She did seem to be acting different.

"Very sure," Cloud and Prism said, although Prism's came out more like "Mmmhphhm" since Cloud still hadn't let her go. She reached behind him and dug into his neck with her nails. He made a surprised sound that was a cross between a whimper and a yelp and withdrew his hand quickly. Cloud sent her a death glare.

Prism smirked at him. "I win."

This is how they had acted before they started killing: torturing each other while being as close as siblings could get. Sora turned to the girl and reached from Alex's side and took out his knife. "I can do it you know," she said icily.

Artemis shook his head and laughed, "Alright, come on, we need to let Sora know who that new top kid is..besides I'm pretty sure Sora needs another fight. That Shooter thing won't get out of her system unless she fights more often or she can't have as much control remember?," Artemis told them. "P-please don't," she stuttered. Hadn't she already said she could live? And now she was ready to kill her again?!

"Oh yeah. That's inconvenient," Prism said, pretending not to notice how hard Cloud was glaring at her. She smiled and waved at him. He punched her arm jokingly, but it did hurt a little. She hit him back without looking at him. "I mean...I would let you live, but I'm not allowed to care remember?," Sora asked mockingly.

"It is because of the Shooter half takes over again like last week when we tried to hide remember?," asked Artemis. He remembered so well since they all still had cuts and bruises from her and Alex had the most scars still. "T-that's not what I meant." She looked at the knife and then back at Sora.

"Yeah I remember," Prism grumbled, the slight pain in her legs and side now resurfacing. Cloud looked at her and felt bad. He still wished he could've stopped the attack she'd gotten. "Then what could you have possibly meant?," Sora asked icier.

"You know you couldn't stop her Cloud, Alex was already five yards away as it was, he couldn't make in time," Artemis told him.

"I-I meant it seems unlike you to c-care.."

Cloud was about to ask how he'd known what he was thinking, but then remembered that he was apparently easy to figure out. "I still feel like it's my fault," he mumbled. "Sure..of course thats what you meant."

"Its not..its mine anyways, I forgot to take her to spar with me since I got busy helping you guys," sighed Artemis. "I-it is," she said nervously. "P-please don't hurt me.."

"In no way is that your fault," Prism disagreed. "Neither of you, I'm the one who didn't see it coming."

Sora shook her head a bit and let a silent laugh shaker her a bit, "Your a horrible liar you know that?"

Artemis looked at her and sighed. "Fine, now hurry up before she kills someone early," said Artemis as he took off running this time. "No.. I'm just scared because you have a knife like four inches away from me.."

Cloud and Prism chased after him, then stopped when they noticed Primrose standing there looking confused. They took one of her hands each and pulled her along quickly. "Uh huh suuuure," giggled Sora.

Lilly ran ahead fastest and came bursting through the room and tackled Sora to the ground quickly. Kirai tilted his head at Lilly. Where had she even come from?

Cloud and Prism stopped in the doorway. "Errr.."

"Ohthankgod," the girl whispered under her breath.

"Hm.. Kiki? Don't you think you should be a bit more worried?"

Flipping her neon pink hair back, Kiki twirled her sword in her hand. "No. I'm at the top of this school, Koichi. I'm fine."

Her companion sighed and watched the rest of the students. He hated how sure of herself she was. "Get off of me Lilly"

"No..you were about to kill her"

"So? The stupid brat deserves it anyways..shes lucky I let her live"

"Idiot..get your ass outside the building now you know you can't be around people"

"Fine," Sora grumbled she kicked Lilly off and jumped out the window not too far from where Kiki was sitting. Sora was followed by Alex. Kirai hesitantly jumped down after them and nearly died when he saw who was sitting in front of him.

"Kiki?!"

She looked up and instantly jumped to her feet. "Kiraai!" She ran at him excitedly and he almost fell over from her hug. "Is Taiki back?!"

Cloud and Prism looked out the window and tilted their heads. "You guys know each other?" they called down. Sora looked at Kiki and started to clench her fists together and walked to them as she yanked Kirai away and put herself between the two. Sora was afraid this girl was going to try and kill him somehow.

"No. Stay away from him, in fact stay away from all of them; I've worked too hard to protect every single one of these people. And you won't get the chance to kill them either," Sora hissed. She already did not trust Kiki and was very unsure of what to think about the girl so far. Kiki tilted her head at Sora, confused, and looked at Kirai for an explanation.

Kirai coughed and glanced at Sora. "Err.. Kiikii.. this is Sora.. she's kinda my girlfriend and Sora this is Kiki.. she's Taiki's girlfriend and I really don't know why she's here."

Kiki looked at Sora for a second and then smiled, but it was more evil than happy. "Ohhhkay. Cool."

Cloud and Prism jumped down and stood on either side of Kirai.

"Well now you're in a predicament."

"If Sora loses, then your girlfriend just lost and she's not gonna be happy."

"But if Kiki loses, Taiki will probably get pissed at you."

Sora didn't back down at all, Artemis jumped down after them not much longer alone with Primrose and Lilly right behind him.

"What's going on here?," asked Artemis as he tried assess the situation but knew that would be hard if it involved Sora already by this point. "Looks like our Sora has found a fight already," sighed Lilly as she ran and attached herself to Cloud with a glomp.

Sora ignored the conversations around her until Alex came from behind her and placed hand on her shoulder, "You've fought enough today Sora," he told her calmly. Sora looked at him but said nothing to him and then finally opened her mouth to reply," Your right...besides I need to show you the school still before I show you the other schools," Sora said to him.

Alex nodded and made sure he kept between Sora and Kiki. Cloud sighed with a smile when he was glomped for the second time today. "Hello Lilly."

Kirai kept glancing back and forth between Sora and Kiki, praying that the latter didn't antagonize Sora too much. He knew how agitating Kiki could be when she wanted to, and he knew Sora wouldn't tolerate it.

Kiki sighed and took a step back. "Ah, so not today then? That's fine. We can settle this tomorrow," she said to Sora with a small smirk. Sora was about to turn around but was stopped by Alex when he grabbed her shoulders and kept her facing forward, "Calm down..your Shooter will take over again if you can't calm down," he whispered to her. Sora gritted her teeth and nodded, "Fine. Whatever, let go and I'll show you around," Sora said irritated and started to lead Alex away.

"Fuuck..now I have to deal with an angry sister of a Sora," complained Artemis.

"Well...I could fight her if Cloud would let me, I'm sure I could stand a chance," Lilly said as she looked at Cloud. Cloud shook his head. "Cloud will not let you. Lilly does not need to fight," he said, giving her a poke. "Cloud is tired of Lilly fighting."

"Prism finds it amusing that Cloud is talking in third person."

"Cloud does as well."

"Kirai thinks that Kiki doesn't need to mess with Sora," he said, giving her a look that could be considered a glare. "Kiki is going to get herself hurt."

Kiki shook her head. "Kiki will be fine. Kiki's gonna go walk around and maybe scare people. Tell Taiki that Kiki says hii~" she said, and skipped off.

Prism tilted her head. "Hmm."

"Why not? You know I could've taken her down they wouldn't be able to stop me. Besides, she already irritates Sora and that supposed to be my job anyways," Lilly complained.

Artemis laughed and shook his at them all, "Well I think we need to keep that one calm before we all die of an already pissed off Sora. Who agrees?," he asked them with a laugh. "Becaaaause. I don't want you huuurt," Cloud said, giving Lilly a hug against her will. "Cloud agrees!"

"Prism agrees."

"Kirai too."

"Why is everyone talking in third person?" Primrose laughed at them all. Artemis started to get irritated with the third person crap.

"Anyone else who talks in third person will not get any sweets from me for a whole week," Artemis told them. He felt more like a parent then he did his own age, 'Damn..I swear I'm going to have gray hair before I get to my next birthday,' he thought to himself.

"Awwwwwh," Cloud and Prism whined. "That's no funn."

Primrose giggled at them. "You guys are crazy."

"Pretty much," Kirai agreed.


	4. After Battle 4

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle four**

**How to end Sora's drives**

"Then no more talking in third person or else I could just smack you both behind the head every time you do that too," he told them with a smirk.

Sora was storming off away from Alex and he knew she was fuming; she had shoved him away from her the moment they were far enough away so she could shout. "Awwh, no thanks," Cloud replied.

Kirai looked around and wondered which direction Sora had gone off in. He wanted to follow her to see if she was alright, but then realized that might be a bad idea. Artemis laughed, "Okay, now off to find Sora," he said to them.

Sora walked further ahead of Alex and cursing every word that you could think was possible and took out her sword and cut down the nearest branches of the school's trees. Alex was not ready to go near her with that sword of hers out in the open. "Why's she so pissed?" Kirai asked, feeling clueless. He knew she didn't seem to like Kiki but that didn't seem to be such a big deal to him.

"Woww," Prism laughed.

"You just got hugged by someone Sora wants to kill. And you're friends with her too. That's grounds for being pissed off, dear," Cloud explained. Alex sighed and just let her blow off steam until she finally sat down under a tree. She looked up at Alex who walked over to her and patted her head. "Don't get upset, you'll beat her, you just need more control since I know what you were feeling besides pissed at her," Alex told her. Sora nodded and laid her head on his shoulder,"...Stupid Shooter.."

Artemis said nothing, he wouldn't be helping if he even opened his mouth, and he was going to leave it to the others. "Girl logic is stupid," Kirai complained.

Cloud laughed. "You're learning kid~"

"I'm totally like a year older than you. Technically two right now. I'm not a kid."

"Yes, but I'm Cloud so that gives me special permissions to call you that," he explained.

"Oh okay. That sounds legitimate."

"Good. Cause it is~"

"Y'know what would be funny," Primrose whispered to Prism. The older of the two looked down at her with interest. "Hm?"

"Cloud and Kirai locked in a room together. I wonder what would happen."

They both looked towards the sky as they imagined a scenario, and both of them were laughing in a few seconds. Alex patted her head and tried to calm her easier as she sat there fuming still in her anger.

"We'll practice again tonight, that way you can't hurt anyone while people are up and awake with us," Alex told her. Sora nodded, she stared at the ground for a moment and then sighed,"...Bored..lets sneak off campus and show you the other schools," Sora suggested.

Alex nodded, "Sure," he agreed and the two started to sneak off campus to a public school. Cloud looked back at the two. "What're you two giggling about?"

"Nothing~" they answered in unison. Cloud tilted his head but was not provided with an answer.

"I really don't believe that."

"Well sucks for you cause neither of us were talking to you," Primrose said bravely, sticking her tongue out at Cloud.

Prism laughed. "You tell him, girl."

Artemis sighed and shook his head, "Must we make weird fantasies about the two of them possibly killing each other or kissing?," he asked in a teasing voice. He glanced to look at them when he started to head towards the back of the school to sit in a more peaceful area.

"Never thought I would miss the forest..."

Prism and Primrose sang "Noooo~" at the same time Kirai and Cloud exclaimed "What?!"

The two boys looked at the girls in kind of a 'what the fuck' manner. Prism rolled her eyes at Cloud. "Don't pretend you didn't try to kiss him the first time you guys met. I was there. I remember," she pointed out with a smirk.

Cloud looked at her blankly. "Darling. Do you not remember my killing tactics?"

"That was not one of your creepy killing steps."

"How do you know it wasn't? You know what the first one was," he pointed out, leaving out the name of said step suspiciously.

"Yeah but still, you were way too excited."

"Prism." Cloud pointed at Kirai. "Look at him. You tell me he wouldn't be fun to torture."

Kirai blinked. "Errrr. Is that good?"

"Yeah, he just called you hot," Prism said with a laugh.

Cloud glared daggers at Prism. "No. That's not even. No. Just. Nooo."

Primrose looked up at Artemis, worried. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get back into the feel of this place..makes me wonder if we should have come back to start with," sighed Artemis. He looked around at everything and remained silent; he could only think of how different everything was now that they were done with their goal. Artemis started to think about the forest again and how much different it had been in the forest and how it would be more different here. "Well we didn't really have a choice, did we? Nowhere else to go to," Primrose said in a sad voice while the other three kept on arguing in the background.

"Prism that isn't even close to what I said."

"Yes it is. You always say that people are fun to torture when you think they're hot. Always." She glanced at Artemis and then back at Cloud.

Cloud glared at her and shook his head discreetly, nodding in the direction of Primrose. "And I never even said that," he whispered to her fiercely.

"Yes you did. That night we couldn't sleep. We were talking about everyone and you said that about him," she whispered back.

"No."

"Yep."

"I know...but even Sora seemed more at peace there, she got to leave her past and find a new place to belong...but now I feel like that will vanish from her and she will only bear that past again," he said sadly to Primrose. Primrose shrugged. "So why don't we go back? Or better yet, stay in the city and just drop out of school. She'd probably go back to normal. It seems like Sora only cares about her reputation here because it makes her feel stronger than everyone else. Like she's trying to make up for the fact that she couldn't protect her parents against Cloud and Prism."

The other three stared at her in disbelief.

Cloud tilted his head. "Primrose.."

"You're always so.. clueless.."

"And then you go and say something that deep?" Kirai questioned.

Primrose shrugged. "I can be smart when I want to be."

"If only it were that easy now..Sora wants Alex to experience outside the forest, and she won't let us near him very often remember?," said Artemis. He looked at her with wonder when she mentioned that, he couldn't believe something so deep came from her mouth and he had a feeling it was true in some ways. Primrose sighed and flipped her hair back in slight annoyance. "Well Sora's just gonna have to get over that part. Alex is gonna have to learn to survive by himself eventually, and if she won't leave his side he'll just end up depending on her the rest of his life and that's not going to work. And plus, he likes the forest better, ne? So why'd she take him away from it in the first place?"

"Well...it is our fault, we dragged him out of there to begin with remember?," Artemis told her as he placed his head in his hands. And sighed again in annoyance at everything around them,"...I might as well let her stay with him in the forest for awhile and let her adjust on her own again..without me and that way they become dependent on each other equally not Alex on her more," he explained.

Primrose tilted her head as she thought about that. "But she'd miss you," she pointed out. "Not to mention her dearest Kirai. They'd also get tired of each other with no one else to talk to."

"Yeah and that would prove the point of he not needing her so much," said Artemis. He sat there for the next few moments trying to figure out how to handle the immediate changes that would happening again not far away. "Hm. True." Primrose sighed and thought about this more. "I really don't think she needs to fight this Kiki chick.."

"Me either," Kirai agreed.

"Well duh you agree. But I mean really, Sora's already let fighting get to her, she doesn't need to be at the top of the school. That's just gonna make her more confident."

"It's the only thing that gives her a drive anymore," Artemis told them all.

He looked at each one them and knew they still didn't get what he was talking, "After so long with Sora, you still don't understand what makes her tick do you?"

They all shook their heads at him in confirmation.

"Mostly because we find her logic idiotic," Prism told him. Cloud nodded with a slightly apologetic look.

"And because she's just.. Sora. She's hard to figure out, point blank," Cloud said.

"For us at least."

"Haha, it's her drive because I'm better than her, I'm ranked two and we had always argued over who would be the top..and at some point I let myself lose to feel like she was stronger. Did you guys ever notice how dependent she is during a fight?," he asked them.

"Not to mention, she's my clone only her fighting style is a replica of my own"

Primrose tilted her head at Artemis in thought. "Hm. I have not noticed that."

Cloud blinked. "So are you actually better than her and she doesn't know? Or you aren't? Or what?" he asked curiously. "She's very dependent in a fight," Artemis told Primrose with smirk, then he turned to Cloud.

"I'm only a little better, were a copy and they made her a bit weaker than me to try and help her improve to make her better," he explained to Cloud. He gave a long sigh and then looked back to Cloud, "She's weaker and yet she knows I'm stronger so she obviously wants to improve and beat me, she's never beaten me in a single fight," he told them all.

"Oh."

Kirai thought for a moment. "You think she'd finally calm down if someone came around that was just better than her, fair and square?"

"Don't know...if that is possible it could happen. But she's not an open to me anymore, she's started to close off from me so it's hard to tell what she's thinking anymore," sighed Artemis with annoyance. "..I wonder if she could beat me finally could she finally let it go?..After all I'm her goal to beat," he laughed. "Then just let her beat you," Cloud suggested. "It's not like your reputation would go down that much, and it doesn't seem like you'd care if it did anyway. And then Sora would chill the fuck out."

Artemis shook his head, "Tried that once...it failed because someone shouted out that I had let her win."

He tried to think of something else to try and get Sora to forget about a lot of this, but couldn't think of anything. "I guess...I'd have to erase her memory again of..a lot of her drives," Artemis said with a thoughtful look. "Awh maan.. not the memory crap again," Kirai complained. "Last time anything happened with that I had to teach her to talk.. and that was the most fail thing I've ever tried to accomplish."

"Yeah but that was because someone else had the chain to make her stable that they stole form her when she was little remember?," said Artemis. Kirai turned to give Cloud an irritated look. "Thanks."

He smiled sweetly at him and gave him a small wave. "You're welcome dear~"

Prism and Primrose looked at each other and giggled again. Cloud made a noise of annoyance. "Shut up! You know I call everyone that." Artemis shook his head, "Come on guys, help me out here. I've got to find a way to make Sora give up her rank for good," said Artemis with annoyance to himself.


	5. After Battle 5

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle five **

**Lilly fights Sora**

"Yeah," Cloud growled at the girls.

"Plus that is NEVER going to happen, ever, so you can drop that fantasy now, thanks," Kirai informed them. Prism shook her head at him with an evil look. He didn't want to know what she was thinking.

"Anyway. I bet if someone she cared about a lot got hurt because of how much she's obsessed with her rank then she'd stop, maybe," Cloud suggested. "Hmmmmm...thats a good idea Cloud," said Artemis. He turned and looked at Kirai with a sly smirk and started to walk over to him, he turned Kirai around and started to push him forward by his back.

"And now we just need the other one as well, she cares the most about and she also cares about Alex as her brother...so what happens if you both got hurt?," he asked.

"Nnnooooooooo!" Kirai whined. "Not agaaain!"

"Then it would work a thousand times better." Cloud looked at Kirai with a mischievous look. "And I know just the person with connections to someone who could attack them."

Kirai blinked. "But Sora would know it's fake because Kiki doesn't hate me."

"Unless we make it look like she does." Artemis smiled as he thought about how well this could work or how bad it could go. either way it was worth a shot, "So, who do you think can help you this Cloud?," asked Artemis. "Well," Cloud began, thinking of anyone who mutually hated Sora. "We could have Kiki do it, but that does bring up the possibility of her not believing it. Or Lilly could since it would just look like she's trying to screw Sora up."

He shrugged as he came up with another idea. "Hell, it could even be me and Prism. Pretend we were pretending or something."

"Yeah and if Lilly does that they're matched for power and speed remember?," said Artemis as he glanced at Cloud.

"And if its you two..I doubt she would want to hurt you two anymore since she hurt you already as her Shooter."

"And I don't feel like fighting her," Prism complained.

Cloud sighed. "So Lilly's our best bet huh?" he said with a slightly saddened tone. He hated the thought of her fighting at all, much less with Sora. "Well she is if we want Sora to finally see reason at last through another reason," chuckled Artemis. He looked at Lilly who was already looking at Cloud but with confidence. Cloud glanced at Lilly and sighed. "Ah fine..," he said reluctantly after a few moments of consideration. Their whole life here at this school really depended on how Sora acted so it was best that they fixed this situation now, and if Lilly was the way to do that, then he'd agree. But he wouldn't be happy about it.

Lilly smiled and then walked ahead of the others. She then quickly walked back to Cloud and took his knife, "I'll give this back..I just need it as a secret weapon," Lilly told him. She then walked ahead again and poked the tip of the knife to one of her canines. Cloud glared after her when she took his knife. He never went anywhere without that. And she even took the special one.

Prism rolled her eyes. "Oh calm down, you have like seven more."

"Three, thanks."

"You carry four knives?" Primrose tilted her head at Cloud.

He nodded. "Always."

"...where?"

"One in each of my shoes, one in my pocket and one on my belt," he told her.

"...why."

"Because knives are fun."

"And he has a weird emotional attachment to them," Prism explained.

Kirai laughed. "That's really weird."

"Well I am really weird so~"

Lilly glanced back at him, "Don't give me that look Cloud. I'm careful with every weapon, sure I've almost never used a knife but I'm sure it's not different then the daggers," Lilly old him calmly.

Artemis looked between the two hoping this wouldn't end up in some kind of stupid argument between the two of them. Lilly continued walking ahead and was able to see Sora and Alex not far off and gave a small smirk but then accidently let the knife slip from the tip to her canine and accidently cut her cheek. Cloud continued to watch her with a wary look. "Eh.."

Prism rolled her eyes at her brother. "You're dumb."

"That's the first one I ever usedddd," he grumbled in defense.

"It's not like she's going to break it. It's a knife."

"Thanks for jinxing it.."

Lilly wiped the small amount of blood from her cheek and started to walk over to Sora. Alex looked up when he saw Lilly; she saw that Sora had fallen asleep next to him. Lilly glared and rolled her eyes and looked back to the others and pointed at Sora.

"She's asleep," Kirai said with a bored tone. "Awesome."

"OH GEE GUYS ISN'T IT REALLY PRETTY OUTSIDE TODAY," Prism said loudly, hoping it would wake Sora up.

"GOSH I KNOW ITS SO CRAZY," Cloud played along.

Primrose laughed. "MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE A PICNIC GUYS."

"DEFINITELY. AND AFTERWARDS, A MAGNIFICENT GARDEN PARTY," Kirai suggested. Artemis looked at them like they were waiting to die or something he was not joining in or else he would get the worst of it. He turned around and started to walk away slowly from the others to avoid any of the whiplash from Sora.

Alex stared at them wide eyed having a hard time believing what they were doing.

Sora was starting to wake up very irritated and he had just gotten her to close her eyes and sleep. Cloud gave Alex a thumbs up, no doubt confusing him even more, but then again that was the point.

"GOSH THAT SOUNDS SPLENDID KIRAI. MAYBE AFTER OUR PARTY WE CAN ALL FROLIC THROUGH FLOWERS."

"YES INDEED, AND THEN WE'LL ALL RIDE AWAY ON UNICORNS," Prism said slightly louder, and once she saw Sora waking up, turned and ran. "RUN."

"FFf-" Cloud pushed Kirai into motion and pulled Primrose along with him and ran off, and went behind a nearby wall to hide, but they could still see Sora.

Cloud looked at Kirai. "Magnificent garden party?"

"Yes," he said with a nod.

They all tried not to laugh too loudly. Alex quickly realized he would get such a lashing that he had to try and get away before she could glare at him and kill him for this and blame him for all of this.

Sora woke up when they all shouted louder and she was not happy.

"Who. The. Hell. Woke me up?," she growled angrily, Alex stiffened in fear. She looked at him angrily and then threw herself at him and tried to lash at him first. Alex quickly rushed and tried to block her attack fast enough.

"Whoever woke me up is so fucking dead that their heads will roll off their shoulders!"

"Where the fuck is Lilly?" Cloud asked, looking around the best he could without being seen. "Sora's just gonna kill Alex if she doesn't show up.."

Sora tackled Alex to the ground before he could dodge away again, he was able to push her off and roll away from her.

'Those assholes...why the hell did they have to wake her up?,' he thought himself annoyed. He saw Sora come back to him and he raised his arms to defend himself only to find that he did not feel Sora's attack. He looked up and saw that Lilly had blocked her attack with the hilt of Cloud's knife, "Now now, let's not kill your brother," said Lilly.

"Hnnnnnn... she's gonna break it like thaat," Cloud said, sounding like a child. Prism patted his shoulder. "It's okay Raincloud, you can get another."

He shook his head. "Nooo. That one's special."

Kirai laughed. "Cloud.. you're an idiot."

Sora glared at Lilly and stepped back and Lilly held the knife in her hand again, she glanced at the hilt and saw a slight crack,'Hes gonna kill me if this breaks...oh well..,' thought Lilly.

Lilly saw Sora draw her sword in time to flip the hilt to her hand and you could hear the sound of blade on blade. Lilly pushed Sora back and shoved Alex out of the way just as Sora came from above and quickly blocked the attack. Sora didn't break the force of her attack on the blade.

You could hear the sounds of the blade scraping on each other as they both tried to push the other away or the ground. Lilly was already finding herself being pushed towards the tree and glared at Sora. She looked at the blade a bit and saw that the blade of the knife was already starting to get cut through the blade of Sora's sword. But since Cloud was far away, he couldn't see the damage happening to the small blade. Finally Lilly swiped her foot under Sora and knocked her over.

Cloud was glaring at the two of them fighting, just waiting for his sacred knife to snap in two. Prism flicked his forehead. "She's winning and you're only worried about that damn knife."

He nodded. "Pretty much."

Sora glared up at Lilly when Lilly pinned her to the ground, but Sora didn't give up yet, she flipped Lilly over and knocked her into a wall. Lilly blinked for a few seconds trying to process what was happening. But she quickly jumped from the wall and flipped over Sora as she rushed her. Sora came around and brought her sword down on Lilly, Lilly quickly blocked the sword then the two were backing each other off and then colliding again.

Before long Lilly and Sora were held in another blade to blade fight that was harsher than before. The next thing that happened surprised Lilly, Sora dropped her guard and as Lilly rushed her Sora acted helpless and tired. Lilly didn't stop her attack and then thats when Sora got her, Sora grabbed Lilly by her long hair and tripped her then Lilly got back to her feet only to get thrown into the air. Lilly quickly raised the blade to block Sora's attack, but Sora's attack was stronger that time and then all you heard was a blade slicing in half. The blade to the knife glinted in the air from the light. Lilly's eyes went wide when the blade was cut through and she found herself on the ground and the blade sticking into the ground next to her.

"Fucking fuck fuck fucking god dammit!" Cloud punched whatever was closest to him, and it happened to be Kirai.

Prism slapped his arm. "Shut up! Sora will hear you!"

"But! The fucking! Fuccckkkk!" Cloud looked at the broken weapon with sad eyes. Lilly stared at the piece of the knife that was in the ground and then back to Sora when she found the pony tailed one smirking. Lilly got to her feet and then tossed the hilt to the side.

Lilly then decided it was best to just use her own canines if it came to it which it did when Sora grabbed her by the neck. Lilly gasped for air when Sora grabbed her by the neck and started to cut off air from her. Lilly opened her mouth and started to dig her canines into Sora's arm, Sora flinched and cried in pain, but didn't let go.

Cloud watched the two battle, all the while still muttering the occasional swear when he glanced at the broken knife. Kirai rubbed his shoulder where he'd been punched. "That hurt y'know.."

"Sorry," he mumbled in response, not looking away from the two girls. Lilly dug her canines in deeper into Sora's arm as she fought to get free. Sora finally let go of Lilly and tossed her to the ground roughly and looked at her arm as it bled crimson red blood and then glared back up at Lilly.

Lilly sat on the ground and held her neck as she gasped for air and tried to move but found she couldn't move with her lack of air in her body. Cloud tilted his head in worry at Lilly. "Should one of us go help her..?"

Prism shook her head. "No.. I think that'll ruin it.."

"Eh.." he responded with worry. Lilly wasn't moving and that was making him nervous.


	6. After Battle 6

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle six**

**What to do with Prism**

Sora walked over to Lilly and picked her up by the collar from her shirt. "Just for that...you'll be asleep for a very long time," Sora hissed at her. Lilly's eyes went wide as she started to struggle to get free again and tried to bite but she couldn't get a good grip on Sora's arm. Before Sora could do anything to Lilly, Lilly did a last resort move, she kicked Sora hard in her knee's weak spot and Sora dropped her and Lilly got to her feet and backed away. She glanced over to Cloud and others and shook her head at them telling them it was no good she couldn't do it; they were too equal in abilities.

Cloud didn't hesitate to draw his sword and fearlessly walk over to the two of them. He stood next to Lilly and glared at Sora.

"Sora. You broke my fucking knife."

Sora just looked at him. She rolled her eyes at him and turned with a flick of her hair and started to walk away from them calmly.

Alex looked at Cloud and Lilly for a second and then started to run after Sora. "Sora! Wait! Calm down you need a nap again!," he shouted after her.

"Take a nap. ignore them, they wouldn't stop when I warned them you were asleep," he told her calmly.

Lilly looked at Cloud and kept panting a bit more before her breathing evened. Cloud looked at Lilly and then at Sora. "She broke my fucking knife."

He sighed and looked down at Lilly. "You okay?"

"I'll be alright after awhile...sorry about the knife though, I guess Sora sharpened it earlier," said Lilly. She looked at the broken thing of a knife and sighed. Cloud sighed at his severed weapon and felt sad. That piece of metal was what changed his life.

"Eh.. whatever," he mumbled.

"So I guess that plan failed," he said, looking around and finding Sora and Alex were no longer in sight. "Well it made it worse since we already established that our skills were equal," said Lilly. She looked around and let her head fall back onto the ground, "Never again.."

Cloud sighed and sat down next to her. He pulled up a strip of grass and tore it into little strips. "Sorry you had to fight her."

Prism, Kirai and Primrose approached them out of curiosity. "So I see that didn't work," Prism said. Cloud glared up at her. "Really now?"

Lilly said nothing as she tried to think of something but couldn't come up with a plan. She laid on the ground for sometime staring at the sky before she made a decision.

"..I'm gonna go to a different school.."

Cloud looked down at her in shock. "What? Why?"

He really didn't want to be left alone with the rest of them without Lilly. They were cool, sure, but it would be boring without her tackling him every two seconds. "Well..its just that...here it just reminds me of the way the government trained me. So...another school could be best for me to go and escape those thoughts and besides. Fighting gets me injured and you hate it," Lilly told him as she rolled over in the grass.

"Well..yeah.. but I hate you not being here too," Cloud said with a sad tone.

But this was probably best for her, right? She'd be happier somewhere else. "But I guess.. if it's better for you.."

"Why don't you come to a different school with me? Sure everyone would be split up but it's probably best for some of us...besides...I want to hide that I can fight," she told him. "Hm." Cloud could practically feel the glare Prism was giving him behind his back. He turned around enough to look at her and she changed it to a pout.

He sighed and turned back to Lilly. "If I go with you Prism will follow me.. which I guess isn't that bad but I dunno if you two like each other," he said, looking at the two of them. Lilly ignored Prism while she stood there.

"It doesn't matter to me if she follows, we never got along anyways...hell I don't get along with many of you guys except you Cloud," said Lilly as she rolled over in the grass and onto Cloud's lap. "Eh. That's true," he said, patting her lightly on the head. He looked up at his sister and pointed a finger at her. "You have to be good, okay?"

"Heyyy, tell that to her too!" Prism defended herself.

"Psh. You start most of it."

"No I dooon't!"

"You just spent half an hour antagonizing kids you've never met. And you DON'T start stuff?"

"..not always!"

Lilly smiled at him, "At least I don't do that unless I have reason unlike some people," she said. Lilly stared at the sky and laughed, "And at least I don't terrorize them unlike some people just did."

"I had a reason," Prism grumbled. Cloud looked at her doubtfully. "And that was?"

"You guys were just talking about boring stuff and I was bored," she told him. Prism shrugged. "Well apparently your reputation is important here.. it can't hurt for some people to be scared of you," she pointed out. Cloud only shook his head.

"Oh please! Four months ago you were ready to go all crazy on Kirai and now you DON'T want to scare people? Your darling girlfriend has made you soft," she said with a laugh. "A reason my ass, if I leave here and he follows me and you follow him there will be no need for a reputation anyways," Lilly said calmly as she looked at Prism.

She sat up and then leaned against Cloud more comfortably, "And besides, if you want a reputation then stay here because I'm not staying," Lilly told her. "Besides, you have the attention span of a twelve year old boy. How bored are you gonna get at a normal school? And then you can't go torturing children with a sword there," Cloud told her with a smirk.

Prism glared at him. "..yeah well you can't carry four knives everywhere."

She glanced at the broken blade on the ground. "Well. Three."

"...And yet you have the attention span of a squirrel and would only seem to get annoyed by everyone around you since there would be no one to fight. Cloud could easily hide those or let Artemis take care of them anyways since he would still get to keep them with him just not on hand or I could hide one and you can't do a cavity search on a girl," Lilly giggled.

She sat up and hugged Cloud as she looked at him," And besides, I have my canines so they can't do anything about it I can lie and still fight for you if need be," she said to him with a smile. "But," Prism started, realizing something, "If we go to Taiki's school, then he'll be there and he can fight. Hah! That'll work!" she announced, proud of her plan.

"..unless we don't go to his school," Cloud said with a smile. "And it's not like they're going to be like 'Excuse me kid, are you carrying multiple pieces of kitchenware that could potentially be used to stab anyone?'. My knives will not be discovered."

He looked at Lilly and poked her nose. "No fighting." Lilly giggled when he poked her nose, "I know I was only kidding~ and thats why I'm going to public school to avoid as many fights as possible anyways. I don't need to keep fighting anymore since there is no government now," Lilly told him.

She bit her lip with her canines as she thought about something,"...I'm just curious to how Prism would not get into trouble everyday"

Cloud sighed and nodded in agreement at her comment. "I know. Me too." He looked over and tilted his head at her. She was lightly poking a ladybug with her sword, enough to make it start flying, and then followed in around in apparent wonder at the bug.

He laughed. "She needs a boyfriend or someone to keep her busy. Or a pet. Anything."

"Maybe we could try to convince Artemis to get her some kind of pet?," she asked him since Artemis only thought about things if it helped them.

"..But then if she got a boyfriend..then what would be the point of a pet?," Lilly wondered in confusion. "Yeah, maybe. But what animal would follow her everywhere? ..actually I don't even think she likes animals."

Cloud shrugged. "In case he wanders off? I dunno. I think a guy would be easier than a pet.. but I have no idea who she likes."

Prism wasn't paying attention to them in the slightest. She'd just discovered a butterfly and was chasing after it curiously. "...She has the attention of a damned squirrel alright..but then would Artemis let us keep the pet? For someone our age he's more like a dad than anything else," Lilly giggled.

Alex was walking back from Sora with a slash mark on his cheek from the tip of a blade and he shook his head. He had tried to calm her down and failed badly by the looks of it.

"She's so fucking pissed," he complained. "Probably. As long as it wasn't super annoying."

Cloud shook his head at Prism with a smile. "She's so weird."

"Hmm. We've never had any pets. I wouldn't know what to get her." He looked over at Kirai. "Have you ever had a pet?"

"..I had a fish?" he said with a shrug.

"..yeah that won't work.."

"Heh. Whoops," Prism said, stopping her journey after the butterfly to tilt her head at Alex. "She cut you?"

"Well that rules out a lot of pets since most of them makes a noise except for small fluffy animals like a bunny," laughed Lilly. She looked at Kirai when he said a fish, "Well...maybe I mean she can't kill a fish in one day...can she?," she asked.

Alex looked up at Prism, "Yeah...but I don't think she meant to, I think it was an accident since she's still pissed about being woken up and about that Kiki girl all over again...," he sighed as he tried to wipe the blood off. "Well if she keeps poking everything with that damn sword then she probably can. Plus where is she going to keep it? She can't walk around with a fishbowl all day," he pointed out.

"Oh. We were trying to get Lilly to defeat Sora.. maybe kill her ego a bit." Prism looked around for the butterfly. "I don't get what's so bad about that Kiki chick.. she reminds me of myself a little bit," she told Alex. "Well..then fuck getting her a pet then," sighed Lilly, "If she can't keep a fish alive then there's no point in getting a damned pet anymore," Lilly complained.

"Maybe that's the problem," said Alex as he looked at her. He wondered if she would understand what he meant. "We'll just have to deal with her then I guess," Cloud said with a sigh. "Or put her back on medication but that makes her more airheaded than Primrose.." He looked around to make sure that she wasn't there anymore after saying that.

Prism shrugged, and then after thinking about what he'd said, turned to look at him. "Wait what?"

"Ugh...why must she make things so complicated in her own just for being the most epic spazz of all time?!," complained Lilly. She was at a loss for any ideas and was ready to slap someone to make sense of this all.

"Well...like you said she reminds you of you, so in other words, it's only bringing back bad thoughts when you would do anything to piss her off remember?," said Alex. "I don't think she really tries.." Cloud felt kinda bad for bashing his sister, he figured he owed her some slack for living with a freaky mental disorder. "But it's still really confusing."

"Oh.. that's true..," Prism agreed, looking up when she saw the mysterious butterfly fly over her. "That would explain a lot then."

"Well its..maybe...I don't know just maybe she needs to depend less on you like you said how Alex needs to depend less on Sora and how Sora should depend less on her brother," said Lilly. She was only thinking about what they had talked about hours ago and couldn't help but say the same thing back and wonder what would happen if she did that.

"Yeah it would..so it only makes sense, which means that now she wants that revenge again..she's being blinded again, you shouldn't have woken her up yet. She was on the border to finally letting everything go all at once and then that girl came from nowhere," explained Alex. "That sleep moment was when I was using my own Shooter abilities to make her forget her revenge." Cloud sighed. He'd been thinking that in the back of his mind this whole time but he was too afraid to say it. "I know.. it's just.. We've depended on each other our entire lives. And I know that's the same thing for Artemis and Sora.. but I dunno."

He looked over at Prism and sighed again. "I think she just regrets helping me get killed so she wants to stay with me to make sure I'm protected now.."

Prism blinked. "..well fuck.. maybe we should've asked first," she mumbled. "But I guess we can't change what already happened..heh." She found it amusing how hypocritical that sounded.


	7. After Battle 7

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle seven**

**Kiki tries to find Sora's weakness**

"Well...I get that means something to you both. But I've never had to depend on anyone like that when I was an agent still I was always on my own Mr. Igotpinnedbyagirl. And besides..maybe she needs to be a little more independent now, at least try and wean her off from needing you a lot slowly," said Lilly.

Lilly started to try and think about when she had first gotten a partner, but she ended up killing her partner because she didn't need them, that was also the same night she had pinned Cloud to the ground but she doubted he remembered seeing her covered in blood that night.

Alex shook his head and said nothing now. "Well..I might as well let her fight it out anyways with that girl," said Alex and looked around. Cloud glared at Lilly. "I was eight and I'd never fought before," he told her for the billionth time. That still didn't make up for the fact that he had indeed gotten pinned by a girl. "And I know. I will.. it's just gonna be hard with her being able to like read my mind and all."

"That's gonna suck for Kirai." Prism looked around and saw Kiki in the distance, under a different tree this time. He pointed to her. "Over there."

"Haha~ Last time you told the story you said you were at least ten~," teased Lilly. She poked him and desperately hoped he didn't remember seeing her covered in blood that night, because that night she was covered in the crimson stuff. "Then let me hang out with her and keep her distracted from you, or just let me distract you more," she said as she started to nip his neck again.

Alex looked over at Kiki, "Should we make them fight today or after school?," asked Alex. "..Noooo!" Cloud declined. Truth be told, he really couldn't remember how old he was. He knew he'd been eight when he'd first killed someone, but had no idea how later in his life he'd met Lilly. He'd pondered a mental image that he recalled before he felt Lilly start her teasing up. "No. No. No. No. No. Nonononono."

"But really don't hang out with Prism.. she'll think it's a trap or something. Just chill with me WITHOUT doing that," he said, poking her.

"Eh.. probably after school. She might have calmed down a little by then," Prism suggested.

Lilly giggled as he poked her,"Awwwwh your no fun~~," said Lilly and she started to pout and crossed her arms. She gave him a look and stuck her tongue out at him and then she flinched. She tried to look at her tongue but only tasted blood, that's when she realized she had cut her tongue a bit on one of her canines. "Owwwwwwww," she whined.

"Yeah, and that way no one else has to see her new tricks but it still goes on the ranking," sighed Alex. Cloud couldn't help but laugh at that. "That's what you get for trying to torture me," he said, giving her a pat on the head. "By the way be careful with those teeth dear," he teased her.

Prism sighed. "This school really only cares about your ranking, huh? It's quite annoying."

Lilly looked at him sadly and was tempted to turn back into a wolf but didn't bother. Instead she tackled him to the ground and held him there," Pinned you again," she teased and started to nip him again. "Revenge," she said sweetly.

"Well that's one reason I'm thinking about public school now. I'd rather go there then here," sighed Alex. "Noooo you don't get any revenge!" Cloud complained. He tilted his head to the side she was biting on to try and stop her, whilst attempting to tickle her. "Not faaair!"

"I don't think Sora would like that," Prism pointed out. Lilly giggled but went to the other side of his neck and tried again. "Yes I get revenge you no stop me~," she said through giggles.

"Well I don't want to stay here and besides I'm only going to be a few blocks away," said Alex. "Yes I will stop you. You do not get to succeed," Cloud disagreed, trying to bite her ear or anything that he could reach to try and win this battle. "You have those damn teeth ya cheater."

Prism shrugged. "Well that's gonna be fun to tell her." She didn't say that she and Cloud and Lilly were going to a different school too. He might think they were following him or something and then decide to stay. "I can't cheat if they never went away after sometime," she said to him with giggle. "Besides I never get to tease you anymore," she said mischievously.

"Well, she won't have to worry that I'll end up in a fight and only three of you will be here maybe, unless Primrose stays here too then its four," Alex shrugged. "It's still cheating." Cloud pouted up at her and tried to push her off. "That's a good thinggg! I am Cloud! Cloud does not subject to teasing!" he exclaimed, still keeping up his attempts at tickling Lilly to death.

"Primrose won't leave Artemis. She'll be here," Prism said with a small laugh. Lilly giggled and then finally got off him. But she stood up and started to walk away, "Unless..I go find someone else to ease~," she said playfully to tease him more.

"Well then, I'm not staying here," he said. Cloud sat up and pouted after her. "Nooo." He didn't care how contradictory he was being. "You're not allowed to tease aaanyone, young lady," he scolded playfully.

"You're gonna be all by yourself in a public school. You sure you wanna do that?" Prism asked, twirling in a circle when she thought she saw the butterfly fly behind her. "But you said I can't tease you," she pouted up at him. Lilly was pouting again and shuffled the ground. "Then if I can't tease anyone who can I tease?"

"Yes. Why? Do you not want me to go alone?," asked Alex. "..yourself?" Cloud suggested with an innocent smile.

He looked at her and sighed. "..fine...just not while people can see okaay?" he said reluctantly.

Prism blinked. "Uhh. Well I mean. You've never been to any kind of school and you'd be going all by yourself with nobody to help you and everyone there will know how everything works and you won't and it seems scary y'know? Eheh." She spoke faster than normal. Lilly looked at him and started to jumped happily, "Yay!," and she tackle him to the ground happily.

Alex looked at her curiously unsure of why she was talking so fast. "O..kay...but anyways its better than going here," he said slower. Cloud sighed but couldn't suppress a smile at her actions. "I'm going to regret this," he said, awaiting the torture.

Prism blinked when she realized that he probably barely understood any of that. She always talked fast when she was nervous. Although she was unaware of why she would be nervous. This was just Alex. Calm down Prism.

"Yeah.. I guess," she said quietly. "Nuh uh you know you enjoy when I tease you~," she said happily and snuggled him.

"Your acting weird..are you okay?," he asked her with concern in her voice and looked at her with worry. Alex took a step towards her to make sure she didn't have a fever or anything. "Nooooo," Cloud said with a highly doubtable tone of voice. He lightly tickled her sides. She hadn't said anything about him teasing her after all.

Prism looked up at Alex when she noticed him walking closer. "Huh? Ummm. Yeah." Stop freaking out. What is wrong with you? Calm down, child. Lilly giggled when he tickled her sides and just snuggled him more.

"You don't look okay and you don't sound okay," he said to her as he stopped in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Should we take you to your brother and let him take a look at you too?," he asked. "Why you bein' lovey?" he asked, deciding to snuggle her as well. He wished she'd get it over with. This suspense was annoying him. But he wasn't about to tell Lilly that. She'd only use it against him.

Prism blushed slightly when he touched her and shook her head. "N-no I'm fine." She actually thought it was a good idea, but wasn't gonna go anyway. "Because I can be," she said to him happily. She snuggled him still until she gave a yawn, it was only later afternoon but she had forgotten she had gone hunting the night before all night and had yet to get any sleep at all.

"Well..if you say it's fine..Well..I better go check on Sora I'll catch you later," said Alex. He turned and went to leave to find Sora. "Noooo," Cloud objected her yawn. "If you get tired then imma get tired and it's only like three," he complained.

"Ok-kay," Prism stuttered. She looked at her reflection in her sword and tilted her head. Why are you blushing, dear? And stop acting weird. Do you like him or something?

Prism laughed at herself. Nooo. You can't like him. Is this because of that silly kiss? Hah. He didn't even want to do that. Don't get so excited. "Hey. You weren't the one out hunting with the half of what's left of your pack," Lilly complained. She looked at him and yawned again.

Alex ran all over the school trying to find Sora and finally found her at the back of the school sparring with a few students who remembered her and wanted to see if they were any stronger. "Nyaaa," Cloud protested. "So you're just gonna take a nap here huh?"

Prism walked around in circles, having a conversation with herself. She did this a lot when she was bored.

You don't like him, end of story.

Well why not, huh? He's cute~ What's wrong with liking someone?

Everything. You're Prism, you don't get crushes.

Actually you have before.

Hey. Shut up.

Prism sighed and stopped her walking. "I'm mental," she said to herself blankly. Lilly gave him a yawn and just fell asleep right there snuggling him without an answer.

Alex waited for Sora to finish her sparring matches first before he went to talk to her. He learned it was best to let her finish before talking to her the hard way when he accidently got hit with an arrow once. "Fff.." Cloud sighed and realized he wouldn't be able to get up now. Oh well. Maybe he could just take a little nap with her.

Kiki sighed. "Taikii, I'll be fiiine." She twirled a strand of her hair and tapped the edge of her phone absentmindedly.

"I'm serious Kiki, she's scary. You're gonna get hurt. Please don't," he pleaded from the other line.

She sighed. "She's going to attack me anyway. Now I gotta go. Byeiloveyouu~"

"Kiki-"

She hung up and smiled to herself. "I'll be fine," she reassured herself.

Sora finished sparring and walked over to Alex when she saw him. She looked at the cut on his face and sighed, "you should've gotten Artemis to look at that when I caused that," she said calmly. Alex shook his head, "Its fine, but you should fight that girl after school if you want unless you want to fight here and now only if you want," he said to her.

Sora looked at him confused and had no idea how to answer that. Kiki looked around, not really taking in her surroundings, just thinking. Then she spotted someone who looked familiar.

"Hey, kid! C'mere!" she called to them.

The innocent looking girl approached her with caution. "You were with Sora and her little crew weren't you?" Kiki asked, smirking at the girl's reaction.

Primrose blinked. "Um.. yeah?"

"You won't be fine with it if I do that, I'll just wait until after school," she said with a sigh and then looked up at the sky, "Besides, you need to give me that lesson today remember?," she told him. He nodded and gave up trying to convince her again, "Well alright then, but no fighting..now I need to check on Prism."

"Why?"

"She started acting all weird around me"

"Ohhhh...okay well good luck with that"

"Thanks"

Alex started to head back to Prism and check to make sure she was alright. Kiki tilted her head curiously. "You know about her, riight?"

"Not really.. she hates me."

"Hmph. Well that's not helpful. You can go," she said with a sigh. Primrose didn't waste time in taking her advice. That chick was intimidating.

Prism drew designs in the dirt with the tip of her sword. Cloud and Lilly were probably being cute, so there was nothing fun to do. She sighed. She was still confused on why she'd freaked out a minute ago. Alex saw Primrose walking away from Kiki when he turned a corner, "Hey Primrose!," he called to her as he started to run towards her. He made sure to purposely bump into Kiki and yet made it look like an accident.

"Have you seen Artemis anywhere?," he asked Primrose. He made sure to take a small unnoticeable glance at Kiki and smirked to himself.


	8. After Battle 8

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle eight**

**Training and Teasing**

Kiki chose to ignore her being bumped into. She turned on her heel and decided to visit the training grounds, maybe scare the shit out of some newbies.

"No, I was just going to look for him when someone decided to ask me a question," Primrose answered and glared back at Kiki. "She was trying to get info on Sora."

Alex turned when Primrose pointed to Kiki and laughed, "I don't think anyone here in our group, and no matter how much half of you don't like her. Would ever give any weakness away since she has started to forgive them and become friends with them," said Alex.

Artemis was sitting against the wall and watching Sora spar and smiled with a shake of his head. "Those were the days," he said to himself as he remembered when he first got Sora into this school. "Exactly, so if dunno what she thinks she's getting at by asking me that. Like really. I'm not that stupid all the time," Primrose sighed. "People underestimate me," she said in an irritated tone. Sora was heading back to spar when she saw Artemis jumped to his feet and rushed over to her.

"What?"

"We need to get out of here"

"Why?"

"Kiki"

"That stupid weakling? She won't live in a fight"

"Either way you're still unstable with the you know what"

"Yeah with just about everything"

"So let's get out of here"

"Fine," said Sora as she started to follow Artemis away to try and avoid Kiki as she arrived to the back of the school. Prism looked around. Cloud and Lilly seriously fell asleep like that? Psh. Typical of them.

She sat down in the grass and felt sad. She didn't really have any friends other than Cloud, and he didn't count. She should probably try socializing more instead of terrorizing. But what was the fun in that? Artemis grabbed Sora's hand and pulled her around past Kiki and made sure he stayed between them as they walked past her and accidently bumped into her.

"Don't say a word to her Sora," he whispered to Sora with slight worry and yet knew she would know better. But he still had to make it very clear she was not to say a single word. Kiki didn't look back. "Hm. With that kind of coordination our fight shouldn't last long," she said, just loud enough for Sora to hear her. Her trusty companion looked back at Sora with worry. "Kiki..," he warned quietly. She patted him on the head, despite his being taller than her. "Don't worry so much."

Sora was ready to turn around again when Artemis looked back at her and shook his head at her, "You know better than anyone else here what a real fight is. You've been through more than she can ever count. So don't fall for her bait," he told her making sure even Kiki over heard him.

"Yeah I know..and especially considering how many were killed by my own blade."

"Exactly, and you know how to kill better than anyone else, so don't fall prey to such a childish trick like that one. She doesn't know what a real fight is," Artemis told her. Sora nodded and agreed that he did have a point. "Hm. They seem to forget that to be at the top I do have to work for it," Kiki noticed. "Which means that I do indeed know how to fight." She flipped her hair back in slight annoyance.

"Sora's killed more," Koichi whispered to her.

"She was here longer, of course she did," Kiki whispered back with a sigh. Sora and Artemis finally stopped when they reached the front of the school and Artemis had to let her train even still but had to find someplace else to train her.

"Hmmmmm...I need to train you in the forest again..we can do that now if you want since we know the secret path into the forest anyways," said Artemis. Sora agreed, she looked around and found Alex heading in that same direction and ran over to him to explain what they were doing.

"I'll go get the others," he said and took off for the others.

"Let's get back and train you," said Artemis and the two started to head into the forest. Cloud blinked his eyes open and promptly closed them upon seeing the sun above him. "Nyaaa.. naps aren't good ideas," he grumbled. He poked Lilly to try and wake her up. "Heyyyy."

Lilly complained when he started to try and wake her up,"Nnnyyyyooooo~"

Alex came running over to them when he saw them and stared at them for a second, "not gonna ask. But anyways, were going into the forest now to train Sora come on," said Alex. "Yessssss, see Alex says to get up. So get up," Cloud protested. He continued to poke her but didn't try and get up yet.

Lilly whined again before she started to get up and off of Cloud, she slowly got to her feet and rubbed her eyes, "But I got no sleeeeeppppp remember?," she said. Lilly was yawning and since she had no sleep and was now getting an attitude, one that they had never dealt with.

Artemis and Sora made sure that no one saw them heading into the forest to go train. Once Artemis saw it was clear he and Sora ran into the forest quickly. Cloud stood up after her and yawned. "You can sleep later when it's nighttime," he told her. He looked over at Prism and sighed.

"Hey! Come on!" he called over to her.

She obediently walked over to them. "Where are we going?"

"Apparently to help train Sora or something," he answered. Lilly complained and started to walk on ahead irritated already and made sure to turn into a wolf quickly so no one saw her and dashed into the forest.

Sora and Artemis sat on a rock waiting for the others to arrive and sighed heavily when Alex hadn't arrived before them first. "How long does it take to get the others?!," complained Sora.

"Show off," Cloud mumbled. He looked around and found that pretty much nobody was around. No need to be all sneaky, and it's not like he had any fancy maneuver to get out anyway. He followed after Lilly with Prism trailing behind.

Kirai saw them from a bit away and rushed over. "Where's everyone?"

"The forest," Cloud told him, walking into the trees. Lilly was the first to arrive and simply walked over to a tree and curled up under the shade and went back to sleep with her tail over her nose.

"Well someone is in a bad mood..."

Alex walked to the path on his own with a sigh and couldn't wait to put this place behind him now. "That school's like the most boring thing ever," Prism complained, jumping over a log as she walked next to Cloud.

"That's because you were all alone. Make some friends," he said, playfully pushing her. "I'm not always gonna be there y'know."

Prism shrugged. "You are for now."

"And don't push me. I'm older than you." She pushed him back, a little harder.

Cloud laughed. "By four minutes."

"That's four minutes more of life I have experienced than you."

Alex arrived before Cloud and Prism since he dashed after Lilly and saw Sora and Artemis waiting for everyone.

He looked over and saw Lilly sleeping, "Let's now wake her up again," he suggested.

"Let me guess, hunting all night again?"

"Yeah"

"Let's not wake her up again and if Cloud does, then he can die but her canines," laughed Sora. Cloud and Prism finally reached the group and Cloud sighed at Lilly. Already asleep again? "I'm not even gonna try.."

Prism nodded. "That's probably a good idea. I think you'd die."

"I think die is an understatement," said Alex, "She would shred you to pieces if you woke her up again Cloud," said Sora as she jumped to her feet and walked over to him.

"So let's make sure we don't wake her up," Sora said calmly as she turned on her heel and giggled. Cloud nodded. "Yeah probably."

Prism tilted her head at Sora. What was that giggling for? It was highly suspicious since Kirai wasn't here yet. "What's the giggling about?"

Sora looked at Prism, "Hm? Ooohhh nothing," she said and then took that chance to vanish into the trees.

"She wants to try her new method of fighting since she's not used to fighting from the trees still," laughed Artemis. "Oh." Prism looked up and wondered if they were going to be attacked by her. This was training after all.

Kirai appeared next to her and looked around. "..where's Sora..?"

Prism pointed upwards as an answer. "Training has begun," was all Artemis said. And the moment he said that an arrow and Sora's sword went flying past them and hit the ground. Kirai jumped back, seeing as the arrow landed mere inches from him. "The fuck.. I've already gotten one arrow from her.. I don't need another," he grumbled.

Prism laughed. "Then protect yourself."

"Kirai at least dodge the arrows that's all you have to do, she won't hurt you on purpose this time I swear," said Artemis.

Sora let another go and aimed for Prism this time and then Cloud. "Good." Kirai looked at his shoulder where he still had a hole in his shirt from the arrow she'd shot weeks ago. "Cause that hurt."

"You are a weakling," Cloud said as he stepped back to avoid Sora's flying weapons. "How you've survived this long I have no idea." Artemis laughed, "I told you not to stand there," he said as he dodged the arrow coming at him from the left this time.

Alex dodged the next one and pushed Kirai out of the way from the one coming at him from behind, "It's because his girlfriend loves him," he teased. "Shaddup," Kirai grumbled.

"That's true though," Cloud agreed, pushing Prism out of the way and deflecting an arrow with his sword. "She's protected you this whole time. When you've never been hurt I guess one arrow would indeed feel like hell."

Prism glared at Kirai. "C'mere and let me stab you in the shoulder, legs and side and then you tell me what hurts," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. Alex and Artemis both started laughing and had to stop dodging and laughed too hard they had started to lose their breath. Sora took advantage of the two being down and shot an arrow at each of them and smiled. Primrose arrived at the edge of the trees and tilted her head at the rain of arrows that came from the sky. "Ummm."

"Watch out kid," Prism advised. The pinkette jumped over an arrow that was sent her way. "What exactly are we doing?"

"Just having a tea party, wanna join?" Cloud asked sarcastically. Alex and Artemis just barely got to their feet in time to dodge the arrows but still got a scratch from the arrows either way.

"Why does she have to use her arrows more often too? Whatever happened to her sword?" complained Alex. "Arrows are more of an advantage," Prism answered him. She glared up at the sky when an arrow hit her pinky finger. "Ow."

"If she's throwing shit at you from the sky then you can't reach her from the ground." Cloud pulled Primrose out of the path of several arrows. "Damn, pay attention, girl!"

"Sorry," Primrose said with a bit of a laugh. Sora giggled as she kept hitting them slightly but felt bad when it got near Kirai, "Don't stay there Kirai! Go sit with Lilly I don't want you hurt," Sora called out him as she held herself from a branch.

Alex and Artemis sighed and shook their heads with a smirk, "Lover boy gets special treatment~" teased Alex. Cloud and Prism laughed. "Awwh~" they sang in unison.

Kirai glared at them all. "Shut up."

"You're so manly; your girlfriend's protecting you. Good job."

"Y'know what else is manly? Freaking out when your girlfriend bites you-"

"Listen to your girlfriend. Go sit with Lilly," Cloud interrupted, shoving him towards the sleeping wolf. Artemis tried to hide his laughter and looked away from them as he turned to Sora. And told her not to do this to him again and at least let him try not to get hit but she shook her head at him.

Alex laughed and then looked up at Kirai, "G-go do what she says~," he said through laughter.


	9. After Battle 9

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle nine**

**Love troubles**

"Oh, they don't know about your weakness huh?" Kirai laughed, remaining in his place despite Cloud's relentless efforts to push him over to where Lilly was.

"I don't have one," he grumbled. "I will cut you."

"Yes you do," Prism helped, barely dodging an arrow that was sent for her arm. "Remember when I walked in and-"

"NO, BECAUSE NOTHING HAPPENED," Cloud spoke loudly over her. Alex turned when he heard them debating,"Soooo what exactly happened?," he asked as he walked towards them and jumped over an arrow. Sora rolled her eyes and shot another at Cloud's feet to try and get him to shove Kirai over to Lilly. "Nothing happened," Cloud said firmly, glaring at Prism, who was smirking evilly.

"Well our Mr. Toughness Raincloud and Lilly were enjoying themselves and I happened to discover that-"

"PRISM LIKES ALEX-"

"NO I DONT YOU FUCKWAD. QUIT TRYING TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT. Cloud freaks out if you barely even touch his neck-"

"Ohmygod go to hell." Cloud wasn't paying attention and didn't notice an arrow fly past him, leaving a scratch conveniently on his neck and making him yelp in surprise.

"HAH. Prime example," Prism laughed, stepping out of the way of an arrow that Cloud threw at her. Alex laughed and had to stand near Lilly to avoid getting hit again as he laughed at Cloud. Sora on the other hand made sure he ended up near Prism, and the moment they were busy arguing. Sora rushed from behind Prism and leaped over her and pushed Alex into her and made him kiss her again.

With that Sora quickly rushed back into the forest and hid in the trees to avoid any fire that she may have started now. Prism remained still in complete shock, and then quickly backed up a few steps once she realized what was happening.

Cloud erupted into laughter and didn't even care about how hard Prism was going to hit him. "N-now say you d-don't like hiimm!" he teased through laughter. "Good job Sora!"

Prism spun around with a furious blush and angrily flipped off her brother before storming off into some trees where she could hide. Sora could be heard in the trees laughing as she jumped from tree to tree and then finally her laughing died to silence and she couldn't be seen again.

Alex blushed bright red as he stared at the ground and turned around as he headed straight into an arrow blindly without noticing it. Cloud only laughed more. "There's an arrow there."

Prism paced around in a little circle furiously. She heard Cloud's laughter and wished she had some arrows of her own. "FUCK YOU CLOUD!"

"That's Lilly's job-"

"Go to hell Kirai!" Cloud said, but it wasn't nearly as threatening as it should've been since he was still laughing. Alex didn't dodge it in time and found the arrow near his collar bone and shoulder. He gripped the arrow tightly in his hand and yanked the arrow from his shoulder and bit his lip to keep from shouting in pain.

Sora sighed when he got hit and jumped out of the trees and led Alex back to where Lilly was to take a look at his injury, "Never go blank like that even after what happened. You know better," she told him calmly.

Alex nodded and blushed. Prism walked back to the group with a blank expression except for the blush that still stained her cheeks. Cloud smirked when he saw her. "Done reminiscing?"

"Are you quite finished," she asked, irritated. "I didn't even do that on purpose."

"That doesn't make it any less hilarious. Your darling crush got hit by the way," Cloud told her, nodding in the direction of Alex.

Prism turned to look at him and sighed. "You okay?" she asked quietly. Alex looked at the ground before answering Prism,"Kinda..stupid arrow hurts," he tried to laugh off the pain.

"If you want to cry in pain go ahead there's no shame in that number 15," Sora told him in a flat tone to make him remember that he was allowed to do that. And that he was to act like a normal person for once.

Sora carefully started to remove his shirt to take a better look. Prism quickly spun around. Cloud laughed at her. "Don't get too excited, spazzmastic."

She glared at him. "You tell me you wouldn't do the same if Lilly just randomly started taking off her shirt."

"Well fuck no! I'd sit there and watch," Cloud laughed. "That's a bad comparison dear, I'm a guy."

"..Still."

Sora looked back at Prism and shook her head, "Hey Prism hand me those bandages," said Sora.

Lilly was starting to lift her head and started to growl, "Shut up you stupid dog."

"Why mee," Prism whined. She grabbed the bandages and walked backwards towards Sora so she wouldn't have to look at Alex. Cloud "accidentally" stuck his foot out and tripped her, so she'd land face up right in front of Alex.

Prism stared up and ignored Kirai and Cloud's laughter, and did her best to do the same with the fabulous blush she had goin' on. She held up the bandages for Sora to grab. "Fuck it all," she whispered under her breath in defeat. "Prism if you can't handle seeing my little brother then go sit across the area under a different tree you spazz," sighed Sora as she took the bandages. She started to wrap Alex's injured area with the bandages and carefully made sure it was covered tightly.

Lilly lifted her head and stood up in annoyance and started to shove her way past them only to bump into Cloud and thought he ran into her. So in that instant she tackled Cloud in annoyance and tried to bite him. Prism sat up angrily and glared at Cloud. "Asshole."

Cloud was about to respond when he was tackled. "Heyyy! What do you think you're doing, dear?" he asked, blocking her attempts at biting him. Alex looked at Prism curiously from where he sat as Sora wrapped his injured shoulder area. He had no idea why she was acting so weird today.

Lilly growled at him and tried to bite him again.

"You guys woke her up..A tired Lilly who went out hunting all night with no sleep at all equals for a very irritable Lilly," said Artemis walking near Cloud as he pulled Lilly off of him. "Pfffffft, Prism's the one that woke her up, being a fuckin psycho over there," Cloud said, standing up from the recent tackle. Prism stood up and walked over to him.

"Shut up, Cloud," she said, glaring up at her younger twin with a serious look in her eyes.

Cloud laughed. "It doesn't work when I'm shorter than you."

"Yes but I can ruin your life in three words. You're not one to be teasing about having crushes, lover boy. Grow up," she whispered sharply, although you could probably hear it if you were paying attention. Cloud rolled his eyes at her and she walked away, probably just to distance herself from him before she ripped his arms off. Artemis pushed Lilly to another tree and sat her down as he started to pat her head; he decided to whistle a song that he used to sing to Sora if she couldn't sleep. Lilly laid her head on her paws and slowly began to fall back to sleep.

"Either way your both you blame for even being loud and Cloud, you're the one who didn't want to wake her up remember?," reminded Artemis.

Alex was finally able to stand back up once Sora had finished wrapping his injury, "You stay..Kirai you stay here too I don't want you to get hurt," Sora said as she walked towards Kirai. "Neh." Cloud tilted his head at Artemis and Lilly. It was kinda weird, him helping her or whatever. But he dismissed the thought.

"Nyaaaa," complained Kirai. "I'll be fiiine."

Artemis walked away from Lilly once she had fallen back sleep under her new tree and sighed.

"But last time you helped me train you got hit by not just one but three arrows," Sora told him calmly as she hugged him, "I don't want you hurt again"

"Yeah but I'll be fine noww," Kirai protested, although he hugged her back regardless.

Cloud laughed. "Dude just sit down. You don't have to do anything, be glad."

"No," he responded, glaring at the silver haired one. "Cause then you'll just tease me about it for the next week and a half and I don't need that."

"Nnnnoooo you still have the injuries I bet and the bruise around them hurts still doesn't it?," asked Sora.

Sora looked up and turned to glance at Cloud, "You've been teasing him?..Maybe I need to convince someone to let you see how much better it is to give him a break," Sora told Cloud as she glanced at Lilly.

She turned back to Kirai, "Please?," she begged and gave him a quick kiss. Cloud only glared at Sora and Kirai. The guy couldn't even make a comeback without Sora pitching in. Jeez.

Kirai gave Sora one last 'No.' look before he sighed. "Fiine."

"Wow," Cloud commented. "She's got total control over you, huh?"

Prism nearly threw a tree at him.

"Jesus fucking Christ Cloud, are you on your man-period or something? You are the biggest asshole today, I swear if you say one more thing of the bitchy nature I'm going to cut off your fingers and shove them so far up your ass you'll be puking hangnails for a week. Okay? Good."

And with that she stormed off, not knowing where she was going, and certainly not caring. "I'm done training today..I better get further away before I decide to try Shooter again without losing control," Sora snapped she let go of Kirai and went back down the path of the forest that they used to return. Sora was going to head back to the cave even though that was a two to three week trip depending on how fast you traveled.

Artemis sighed as he watched the two of them leave then turned to Cloud, "What's got you mad?," asked Artemis and noticed that Alex ran after Prism to help her. 'You, you fucking nitwit,' Cloud shouted at him mentally. But no. He mustn't mention that in front of dear Primrose. "I dunno. Just tired and annoyed today I guess," he lied. He was pretty tired though.

Prism stopped when she figured she would get lost if she went any further. She had to urge to scream but remembered that Lilly was still asleep and would hear it.

So she stabbed a tree. Alex came from behind Prism and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You okay?," he asked her with a worried tone.

Sora raced deeper into the trees and made sure she cut down any trees or jumped over them fast enough before she tripped. She was annoyed already at Cloud and was now about to forget about forgiving him again for his bitch mood today. Artemis looked at Cloud and took him to the side away from Primrose so she couldn't hear them.

"I'm not stupid remember? Something else is bothering you so what is it?"

"No!" Prism shot back, stabbing the tree again. "I'm sick and tired of Cloud thinking he can just be a dick whenever he gets pissed because his boy-crush has a girlfriend and doesn't like him like that!" she all but shouted at him, not turning around yet because she thought she might accidentally punch him out of anger.

"What do you think? I'm losing my fucking mind over here trying to calm the hell down but it's really hard cause once I start to get over this shit you appear and it's like 'Oh, hah, no. You still like him.' And just.. ugh! This is stupid!" Cloud told him, not looking him in the eyes. Alex frowned sadly at her,"Well..hes got to get over it sometime and he has Lilly and shes been paying so much attention to him. But hes been paying a little less attention to her, how do you think she feels I bet shes ready to turn back to agent mode again," Alex told her.

"Why do you keep hanging onto that, if I really mean that much to you then you need to figure out who you want more me? Or Lilly? Look at her she was out hunting for you to find something and now she plans to find something to fix you broken knife later tonight. Listen to me Cloud, if you want it to be, then I can try but you need to find out who you want more," Artemis told him. Prism spun around to look at him. "I know! She's lived her entire life focusing on him, and he gets one little taste of someone else and then BAM he's all 'oshit I love him'. Like, no! That's not how it is!"

Prism hadn't noticed that she'd clenched onto the front of Alex's shirt in her fit of rage. "And he's walking around all bitching and moaning about 'oh jeez it's so hard to choose between loves' when really I just think he wants to sleep with him or something! He doesn't know how lucky he is to have her in the first place!"

Cloud sighed angrily. "My god why'd you have to do this? This is your fault, going and just making out with me, like what the fuck was that anyway?! Have you not noticed that I get emotionally attached to EVERYTHING?" He accidentally gripped his knife too hard and cut into his hand pretty deep. Cloud ignored the blood dripping down his hand.


	10. After Battle 10

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle ten**

**Following weird child**

Alex looked at her calmly and hugged her when he had the chance. "She's spent her life chasing him and was too afraid to say it until now and she's given him the world many times then he could count and I remember getting to meet her once when I was woken up once," he looked at her.

"The night I met her was the night she was chosen to be a part of Cloud's team. My god the only thing she could talk about that whole night was him and how she had fallen for him. She talked about every little detail she noticed about him but was too afraid to tell him. I bet even now she's still shy to even tell him that. But soon after that I was sent back to sleep," he sighed.

"Listen I don't know what came over me that day, to be honest it was something that drew me towards you and I couldn't help it. But look at her! Look at the girl who has chased after you and made sure she took every hit for you and you're lucky to have her! Have you honestly started to forget about her entirely? If you have..then end it with her," said Artemis. He shook his head at Cloud and then turned and headed back to Primrose, "Let's go find my sister"

Prism's glare softened into something more sad. "See, like what the fuck Cloud..," she said in a more quiet tone. "I don't understand him sometimes.. and he should know that Artemis won't leave Primrose for him anyway, so honestly I don't even know why he's trying," she told Alex with a sigh.

Cloud didn't say anything as he processed Artemis's words. That was all true. And it wasn't that he didn't love Lilly, it was just.. Well. He didn't really know.

It was then that Cloud noticed the deep gash in his hand. He looked down at the injury and tilted his head. "Fuck.."

Primrose looked up and nodded at Artemis. "Everything okay..?"

"I know..but think about it..maybe hes the one still blind to everything still yet again," said Alex as he looked at her sadly. "Maybe he's forgotten about her now? I mean she does everything she can to keep him alive and even so they both fight either way to protect others too...but I wonder if the case is that he is forgetting about her," wondered Alex.

Lilly shifted a bit in her sleep and moved to sleep on her side a bit but didn't wake up.

"Everything is fine no worries just being a spazz," said Artemis with a smile and placed a hand on her head. "Now let's find Sora before she gets too far away again," teased Artemis. "I guess you're right.. he's too busy lusting after Artemis or whatever the fuck he's thinking about to realize how much she loves him still." Prism sighed. "And he says I'm the idiot.."

Cloud sighed and went over to where Sora had abandoned the bandages to fix his hand. He looked at Artemis and Primrose.

"She's aaalways running away," Primrose pointed out. "I wonder if she ever gets tired of running."

Cloud sighed. What was he even doing? This whole thing was pointless. No way he'd give up Primrose. Not after he'd just lost her, not for anything. "Maybe he could see Lilly the way before if she ever went back to her old self again?," asked Alex. "I mean he said he was tackled and pinned by her right? So what if that happens again?"

"I doubt she does especially since this running may make her shoot things in the process," laughed Artemis as he picked her up and spun her around for a second. "And besides it only means she's just getting over her anger more, the more she runs," he explained. "Hey that's actually a good idea.. and maybe if we get Lilly pissed enough she'll yell at him enough to knock some sense into his nonexistent brain," Prism theorized. "Shouldn't be too hard to get her mad.. it's pretty easy actually," she said with a small laugh.

Primrose giggled when she was spun. "Well I'd get tired of it. But that's probably because I'm lazy," she said with a small smile.

Cloud stared at his bandaged hand, thinking. He should probably just get over this. But he'd been trying that, so hard, and that wasn't proving to be effective.

..Crap. This was his fighting hand. Of course. "Is it that easy?..Well I know today its easy but I'm afraid if we try today she wouldn't just kill him but us too," Alex said with a scared voice. He thought about the fire they would get if they tried to mess with Lilly today and not another day.

Artemis smiled at her and then picked her up onto his back, "Then maybe you should be carried instead," he teased as he started to walk. Lilly started to open her eyes and yawned a bit through half open eyes and looked around confused. "Then we wait until tomorrow," Prism said, smiling a little at his frightened tone. "Don't worry I'll protect you from evil Lilly," she teased, poking him in the arm.

"Yaay!" Primrose cheered with another giggle. She messed with Artemis's hair lightly. "Your hair is soft."

Cloud noticed Lilly stirring and went to go sit next to her, but he didn't say anything. It wouldn't do anything anyway; she was all wolfed-out. She wouldn't remember anything once she was a human again. Alex laughed when he poked her and hugged her, "Thank you for protecting me from evil Lilly," he said to her with a smile.

Artemis laughed when she said that to him and shook his head a bit, "I had no idea my hair was so soft," he said with a chuckle.

Lilly let out another yawn when Cloud sat down, she laid her head on his lap and closed her eyes again and leaned against him like a pillow. Prism hugged him back and then smiled when she got an idea. She stood on her tiptoes enough to kiss his cheek with a giggle. "Anytime," she laughed.

"Well now you do," Primrose said, patting him on the head lightly and then looking up, finding she could reach the trees and pulling a leaf off of a branch. She inspected it before placing it in Artemis's hair innocently.

Cloud sighed and pet Lilly lightly. "Today sucks," he whispered. Alex blushed slightly when she kissed him on the cheek and he quickly tried to look away from her.

Artemis laughed, "You didn't put a leaf on me did you?," he asked jokingly as he tried to look up at her from behind him. "If you did I'm gonna tickle you."

Lilly remained asleep when Cloud spoke. Prism giggled at him and poked him in the chest. "Heeyy."

"Noooo," Primrose said, grabbing another from a branch and laying it next to the other. "I put twwooo leaves on you," she said with a smile.

"Nuuu don't tickle mee!"

Alex blushed and glanced at her,"Whhaattt?"

Artemis laughed, "Well then that you get tickled later then anyways," he said with a smile. "No you're getting tickled anyways," he said happily. "Why you all blushy?" Prism asked with a smile. "Aand you won't look at me."

Primrose poked his head. "Noooo," she argued. "N-no reason," he said to her as he turned and looked at her and tried his best not to lock eyes with her.

Artemis smiled,"Yeessss," he said to her. "If there wasn't a reason then you would," Prism pointed out.

Primrose ruffled Artemis's hair, making the leaves flutter to the ground. "See now they're gone. No tickling."

Alex sighed with a blush still clear across his face and then looked at her, "Happy," he asked her. Artemis shook his head, "Nope you're still getting tickled my dear," he told her with a laugh. Sora reached the edge of the first river and stopped running; she stared into the water and splashed it.

"Stupid Cloud doesn't know anything..if he would just open his fucking eyes he would see that he isn't always right!," Sora shouted as she shot another arrow. She heard a quick cry of pain and then ran over to see who it was and found that it was a child that she had seen before somewhere near Kirai's real mother's home. Prism giggled at his blush and shook her head. "Nope. Not yet."

"Nyooo!" Primrose protested. "I don't wanna be tickled," she told him, lightly tugging on a few strands of his hair for emphasis. Alex pouted a bit, "what why nooott?"

"Nope you're getting tickled later on," teased Artemis and smiled. "Cause."

Prism mentally encouraged herself a little before she reached up and barely kissed him, on the lips this time.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, the uninjured one, and laughed. She really just did that didn't she? "Now I am."

"So meaan," Primrose pouted down at him and poked him multiple times.

"What the heck?!"

A small boy clenched the arrow that was sticking out of his arm. Where had that come from?! He was just looking for his sister's teddy bear that she'd dropped a few days ago and now he gets shot with an arrow?! Terrifying!

He flinched when he started to pull it out. "Oww.."

Alex blushed more but smiled slightly and held her.

"I'm glad you're happy now," he told her.

"Yes I know~," Artemis laughed.

Sora took a few steps forward and jumped into a tree quickly and shot another down next to him, "Why are you in this forest?!," she shouted down at him. Prism smiled as well but didn't look up at him. She sincerely hoped that she hadn't just done something really stupid. She'd never done this kind of thing, all the cuteness.

Primrose was about to remind him yet again of how mean he was when she heard Sora shout in the distance. "Did you hear that?"

"I-I was just looking for my sister's toy! She was here and she dropped it and now she's too scared to come back!" And now he knew very well why! Strangers shooting arrows, no wonder she dropped the damn bear! This place was way too scary to remember to hold onto anything. Alex smiled at her he lifted her face to look at him.

"So was that trying to say something?," he asked with a smile.

"Yeah..wonder whats going on?"

"Well then get the hell out of here unless you wanna fight. And what idiot lets their little sister run around in the forest with a stupid stuffed bear alone?!,"Sora snapped back at him as she let another arrow fly next to him.

"You're lucky I'm missing you on purpose!"

Prism tried to hide her eyes behind her hair but it wasn't working very well. "M-maybe.."

Primrose blinked. "Well. Sora probably encountered someone she doesn't know and is now unleashing her anger at Cloud on them," she guessed.

The boy immediately took the strange girl's advice and ran full speed back home. The hell was this all about?! His arm was hurting like fuck now. How was he supposed to explain this to his dad? Alex smiled at her, he leaned down a but and kissed her on her lips this on his own without Sora's help.

"Well damn it not again," complained Artemis as he started to head in that direction.

Sora stood up on the branch and watched him run, "And don't even think about coming back here!," Sora shouted at him as he ran off. "Or next time you can guarantee I'll get my brothers and several others to keep you out!"

Prism was frozen with shock, but then smiled and happily kissed him back, unfortunately having to pull back a little because she was giggling so much.

"Again? This has happened before?" Primrose had to hold onto his shoulders when they switched direction abruptly, to avoid falling. Alex looked at her when she pulled away from all her giggling,"someone is giggles today," he said with a smile.

"Yeah..a few years back but it didn't end with a happy side," he said with a sigh. Sora was curious where the boy was headed, so she decided to follow him and raced behind him from the trees and wondered where he could be possibly going. "Heehee.. sorry. Im just happy," Prism said, smiling up at him. It was not unusual, for her at least, how she had gone from raging to so happy she was actually being girly. She did that a lot.

"Most things don't when Sora discovers something," Primrose said matter-of-factly.

Oh so now she was following him?!

This was just ridiculous. He was just being a good brother; wanting to make his darling sister happy... or rather he needed to find the damn wad of cotton and fabric so she would shut up.

And in return he got an arrow to the arm and now she was going after him.


	11. After Battle 11

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle eleven**

**Minoru meets Sora**

"Uh huh suuure," said Alex teasingly. "You wanted me to kiss you this whole time didn't you?"

"Yeah..hey..where did she go? I thought she was here?," asked Artemis.

Sora was very curious to this point. "Who is this kid?...Hmmm where have I seen him before? He looks familiar," Sora said to herself in wonder. He could be from one of those people next door..unless he was that kid she saw in the house once. Prism blushed darkly and tried not to look him in the eyes. "Heh..n-noo..," she said in a doubtable tone.

Primrose looked around. "Well she isn't anymore.. she's not yelling anymore so I have no idea where she went," she told him.

The boy slowed himself to most of a fast-walk. Running wasn't going to make her stop following him and he almost failed gym last year, that's just how slow he was. No point in exerting extra energy.

Who the heck was this chick?

"Suuureee you didn't," he teased.

"Well damn..guess we have to find her on our own then," he sighed.

Sora slowed her pace when he stopped running and hopped from branch to branch following him. Slower than Kirai that's for sure. Who was this kid again? If only she could remember. "Shut uppp." Prism pouted up at him. "It's your fault anyway, next time keep your balance when Sora pushes you."

"Ah..fun," Primrose said unenthusiastically.

Oh okay. So she was still following him. Had he encountered any girls who wielded bows and arrows before? He didn't remember anything of the sort. Bravely, he took a small glance behind him and then got scared. He quickly looked straight ahead again.

Alex laughed, "I'll try if I want next time," he said with a smirk.

"It can be when it has those moments," sighed Artemis.

Sora stopped on a branch and waited for him to make his next move. What will he do next? Sora decided she was done waiting to see where he was going and played mind trick on him and.

"I know who your family is...," she said with a smile.

Prism glared up at him but it didn't have any of the hatred that it normally would've. "You are evil, sir," she informed him.

The boy stopped dead in his tracks.

So she knew his family..?

Maybe he shouldn't lead her to them just in case..

He didn't say anything to her yet. Maybe she'd go away.

Alex laughed and smiled at her. "Yes, I know am dear..I was an agent. Got it memorized?," he asked with a smile.

Sora turned and looked at him as she walked ahead of him then stopped in her tracks.

"One set arrow for each person. One for your mom. One for your dad. One for your sister," Sora said icily.

"Unless..if you don't try and save them..then they will die before my arrows," Sora said to him. When she looked at him more carefully she felt her heart skip a beat, she hid her surprise, but she knew who this boy was...It was Kirai's real brother.

Prism poked him when he called her dear. "Heyy! You're not allowed to call me that, Cloud calls people that," she said with a pout. She tilted her head at him. "Got what memorized?"

He looked at Sora with fear in his eyes. Was she serious?! Of course she was serious; he had an arrow in his arm for crying out loud.

She would kill them all? He'd already lost one sister.. he didn't need to lose the other.

Not to mention how sad everyone got when Kirai was mentioned. His family really couldn't take anymore tragedy.

"..Wha... who are you..?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Alright then..I'll just call you sweet heart then got that memorized?," he asked her with a laugh.

Sora smiled and hid her surprise at knowing who this boy was.

"The name's Sora. I call kill with a sword or arrows. I'm how you would refer to as an assassin," Sora said calmly to him. This boy looked like the sister she had killed when she had tried to follow Sora and find Kirai..unless she remembered that wrong. Oh well it didn't matter she was dead now.

"..So what was she doing in the forest brat?"

Prism smiled. "That is better, yes," she approved with a small giggle.

The boy blinked and was left silent for a second. Where did he recognize that name? It seemed so familiar. Oh! She'd asked him something?

"O-oh, uh, s-she ran off to go play.. my parents were f-fighting and she didn't want to hear it," he stuttered. Alex shook his head with a smile. "Do you feel any better?"

Sora crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at him for his answer.

"So if they were fighting..why didn't you stop her or them from fighting? Why would they even have anything to fight about? Anyways. So should you let me, Sora, kill your family and end that fight for good? Or are you gonna try and stop me?," she asked him.

Prism nodded at Alex. "Yeah. Less like I wanna kill someone."

"They're both in bad moods.. my family has been through a lot," he told the stranger.

Oh goodness. Did this Sora person think he was stupid? Trying to stop her would be useless.

"...are you serious? You have a bow and arrows, a sword and probably something else.. while I'm twelve and I have this arrow sticking out of my arm. No, I'm not going to try and stop you. Go ahead and kill me now if that's what you want. I'm sure everyone left in my family is used to death by now anyway," he said, letting his snappy attitude that he normally kept behind bars show.

"Plus they wouldn't miss me anyway," he added under his breath.

"Good," said Alex as he poked her.

"Oh really? About what?," asked Sora.

He must be an idiot or something; he could've distracted her by now and taken off. But he didn't, what an idiot.

"Yes, but I only use bow and arrows and a sword. I hate using a knife so I don't bother with those, any other weapon doesn't work well for me since I'm about close combat mostly the arrows are to weaken my opponents from a distance," Sora told him.

"So why be the gloom and doom? Why shouldn't they miss their own kid? It's not like their fighting over one or two specific kids, that would be fucking stupid to do that..unless...you want me to make then see sense," said Sora as she gave him a smirk.

"Heyyyy." Prism poked him back.

Kirai's brother laughed hollowly. "Well they are. That's exactly what they're doing. Me and my little sister don't even matter anymore, their two most precious children are gone and we can't replace them, not ever," he shot back.

He glared at Sora. What was she suggesting? "I might hate my parents but I don't want them killed."

"Heeyyyy whut?," asked Alex teasingly.

"What kids could possibly be more important than the two they have now is stupid. Who are they arguing about?!," growled Sora in annoyance stupid parents.

Sora rolled her eyes, "I wasn't going to kill them at that moment...how about I scare the living hell out of them."

"You poked me." Prism stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"It's not like you know them! My older brother got taken away or some crap and my older sister was killed a while ago. Now they don't even care about us. It's always 'oh god I miss Kirai and Mari! awh Minoru and Hanako will never make up for them!'" he imitated in a voice entirely too high to be his parents.

"Yeah well I don't trust you not to kill them anyways," he responded.

Alex laughed and hugged her, "did noootttt."

"Kirai...Mari?...," Sora whispered under her breath and then thought to herself whether she should tell him or not. She shook her head and changed her mind. She looked at him again, "Well then...they fucking stupid," hissed Sora.

"I won't kill them unless they give me a reason to."

"Did toooo," Prism said, hugging him back. She laughed. "I have never been this girly in my life. You should feel special."

Minoru looked at her for another second before shaking his head. "No. Leave them alone," he said, turning around and continuing to walk back home, slightly slower than he would've gone if she wasn't there. "But you're going to follow me anyway so whatever," he said angrily. This Sora person? He didn't like her. Not a bit.

He ripped the arrow out of his arm when he noticed it was still there and dropped it on the ground. Minoru tried to ignore the pain. It wasn't very easy but he managed to keep himself from crying.

"I do feel special with you in my arms," he said to her.

Sora rolled her eyes at him.

"What the hell is wrong with them?! Dude...they panic over Kirai because he was taken by the government and now he's with us and she knows he's with us but doesn't know where that fucking idiot," Sora growled.

"And that damned Mari..she just had to get in the way of the attack when I had just attacked that agent..idiot and now she's dead because she made a careless mistake and I couldn't move fast enough since my attack was faster," Sora said.

Sora stood there before she took off faster than him back to his house to where his parents were. Prism burst into a fit of giggles and smiled up at him. "That was adorable."

"Wait... what?"

Minoru stopped in his tracks despite the fact that she'd already ran ahead of him. "It was you?!"

She killed Mari?

And she knew where Kirai was?

"Wait!" He took off full speed after her. He had to tell his parents. Alex blushed a bit with a small smile.

Sora reached Minoru's house before he could catch her. She didn't hesitate to kick the door open and stormed into the house. She headed straight towards the room where his parents were arguing, she walked straight over to them and shoved the man into the wall and pushed the woman to the ground a few feet from him.

"You think arguing over them is going to bring her back?! And you! I told you I would never bring him here since you have no idea what it means to be a mother!"

"Awh. How cute," she teased. Prism looked around, getting slightly annoyed. "I keep hearing tiny noises. Is it just me?"

His parents stayed still in terror and were silent. Minoru's mother was stuttering syllables, like she was trying to get a response together, when her second son burst through the door.

He seemed entirely less shocked than he should've been. And what was wrong with his arm?!

"You knew she had him and you still wouldn't shut up?!" he finally asked them.


	12. After Battle 12

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twelve**

**Kirai meets his brother**

Alex blushed a bit more and then looked around with her. "Hmmm...nope I can kinda hear it"

Sora looked at his mother and grabbed her by the collar and slammed her into the wall not rougher than his father.

"You listen to me. You call yourself a mother but you're not! You're arguing over two kids. One will never come back! The other is with me and the others! I will not let either or any of you see him ever! Because unless you can prove your parents you get to see him. Your no different than from his other family when he had a father."

"You argue over one who's dead and the other who I will not let you see. But as you argue you abandon your other two who try their hardest to get your attention. You call yourself parents, well you're not. Or are you gonna prove me wrong?!," shouted Sora. She released her grip on his mother and then loaded her bow and shot one arrow at his father in his leg. "Prove you're a real father."

Prism sighed. "It's probably just me. That's pretty much normal." She looked to her left and still thought she could hear something. But it was just a figment of her imagination.

His father tried to contain his cry of pain but it didn't work so well. Minoru's younger sister arrived at that instant. "Daddy!"

"Hanako go back to your room," Minoru ordered. She looked up at her brother, her eyes shining with tears. "But Noru-"

"Go!" he insisted desperately, turning her around. She ran into the hallway and Minoru heard her door slam. Hanako didn't need to see this. She needed to be protected from their parents.

"P-please.. don't hurt us.. you already have enough!" his mother said to Sora. Her husband shot her a look but it went unnoticed.

Alex caught her by surprise and then hugged her into a pile of leaves.

"Hurt you? You're lucky I don't kill you and your husband. I told your son I wouldn't. He told me why you fight. He told me that he and your daughter aren't enough to fill their places! Your kids are not tools to use just to try and wonder if they can be replacements. You are not parents, your users."

Sora turned and looked at his father, "You're the one who keeps this up as well, you're a father right? Wrong. You're a user too. You don't notice how they try to make you happy, of course they can't take the other's place, but they don't want to. They want to be in a place of their own as special to you. You are not fit. To be their parents. Either of you," Sora growled at him. She loaded another arrow and aimed it at the stove to start a fire and held its position, "Tell me why I shouldn't set that ablaze and then have someone take them away from you."

"Nyaa!" Prism laughed. "So this is what it feels like to be hug-tackled?"

His father stared at the arrow in fear, pleading it not to hit the stove. "B-because even if they hate us.. they'd s-still be crushed if we died," he stuttered.

Minoru stared at him. Would he be crushed? Hah. No. But his sister would. She was oblivious to the fact that they didn't love her as much as they missed Kirai and Mari. So he'd put up with them for her sake. He wouldn't tell Sora that what his father had just said was absolutely incorrect.

Hopefully she could figure it out on her own.

Alex laughed,"Yes it does"

Sora looked at him with cold eyes. Not letting the arrow stray from its target.

"Really? They would? Are you sure? I mean, after all, you two only care about Kirai and your little Mari. All the arguing. Hmmm, he doesn't seem like he would care, I mean I could even take him with us to stay with us, but Artemis wouldn't allow it he would let them both find a new home with his help."

Sora waited for his next response as she pulled back more on the arrow, "Now. Prove to me that you are parents."

"And why did I receive a tackle?" Prism asked with an amused smile.

"Of course they would!" his wife cut in. She glanced at her son who was looking at her expressionlessly. "We're still their parents!"

"She just told you that you aren't," Minoru whispered. His father was surprised at his bravery.

"How?" his father interrupted his mother, who was about to speak again. "How do we prove ourselves?"

"Because you need to be cuddled," said Alex as he cuddled her.

"He wouldn't miss you. She would since she's little but she would get over that," Sora told his mother.

"How? You have to figure that out yourself. You're their parents, I'm the one to kick your ass to get the message through," said Sora as she lowered the bow and put the arrow away in her quiver.

"Now...If you don't mind I'll be taking this one with me, because to prove it, you need one on one with your kids and you're starting with that one. This one will come with me to get fixed up," Sora told them. Prism smiled at him and snuggled him happily.

"Oh okay. I can agree with that."

"You..you can't take him!" his mother argued. "You can't take another one!"

Minoru sighed. He was really tired of his mother. One minute she wasn't paying him any attention and now it was terrible that he was leaving. "She's not taking me. I'm going with her," he corrected.

Alex smiled at her. He got comfy snuggling her and ended up falling asleep holding her.

"I'm not taking him permanently away, its temporary. I'll be back in a month with him and if I see no improvement with her then you get no chance to prove it with him. And then they both come with me and I take them away," Sora growled. She placed a hand on his shoulder and started to lead him out the door.

Prism expected that would happen, and let herself fall asleep too. She hadn't noticed how tired she really was until she closed her eyes.

"Minoru.. don't leave! We're sorry!" his mother pleaded. Minoru shook his head and didn't look at her. "You should've said that before your life was threatened."

He looked at the door and sighed. "Tell Hanako I'll be back and her teddy bear's still in the forest," he told them quietly, before opening the door for him and Sora. Sora looked back at his parents, "One month, to fix everything, when I come back it better be fixed," Sora said to them both with an icy glare. She led Minoru out the door and down the path towards the forest.

"We can pick the bear up on our way back you just need to let me speak to Kirai about you," Sora explained to him. Minoru nodded without a word. He was really nervous inside. Was he actually going to get to meet Kirai? Really?

His parents spoke so highly of him. Sometimes he wondered if it was only out of the fact that they missed him.. after all, Kirai was only six when he was taken away. He couldn't possibly have been that amazing at that young.

He also hated Kirai to an extent. Minoru could never match him. He'd always be less than perfect Kirai. Sora led him down the path through the forest and stopped where she had accidently shot him and looked around.

"So where's this bear? I wanna find it fast and then get back to Kirai," said Sora. She tried to hide her excited voice about getting to tell Kirai about his brother and then just hugging the life out of Kirai. "Um.. well.." Minoru looked around. He really had no idea.

"She climbs in trees a lot..so.." He looked up in search of the stuffed object. It was a wonder she dropped it in the first place since she carried it everywhere and-

"Oh. There it is," he said, pointing to a tree where it was hanging by a bow around its neck. Sora rolled her eyes when she saw the bear.

"I'll get it, you wait here," she said to him. Sora leaped at the tree and jumped from branch to branch until she reached the bear and grabbed him careful not to tear him. She came back down from the trees silently and handed him the bear, "There you go. Now let's get going," said Sora as she led the way. "Thanks," he said quietly. He looked down at the bear and sighed. Oh how distraught Hanako would be without it.

Minoru became increasingly apprehensive about meeting his brother as they got closer to wherever they were going. What if he didn't like him? What would he do then?

Sora finally reached back the area before anyone else, when Sora saw Kirai she hugged him from behind and giggled, "Surprise!," she told him. She held onto him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Kirai was rather surprised at Sora. He didn't even hear her walking back. "Surprise?" he asked, slightly confused but smiling nonetheless.

Minoru stayed several feet back, too scared to move any further. So Sora and Kirai were together. Figures.

"Yes surprise, you didn't expect my hug," Sora laughed. Then she went around to hug him properly and then looked up at him, "Kirai~ turn around pwease~," Sora said to him. She looked up at him innocently with wide eyes. Her red eyes sparkled a bit in the sunlight as she looked at him and she then snuggled him.

Kirai looked at her, suspicious of her sudden cheerfulness. "..why..?" he asked, and slowly turned around like she'd asked.

He looked at the boy in front of him and then at Sora, confused. "Who's this?"

Kirai tilted his head at him. Minoru only looked back at Kirai without words. "And why does he look like me..?"

Sora looked at him ,"I found your family Kirai," she said to him, "Thats your younger brother, Minoru."

She looked at Minoru and shook her head at him to hide everything he had learned and heard today.

"He came with me saying he wanted to come see you, your parents were busy so they couldn't come," Sora lied to him making sure he couldn't find out it was a lie. Kirai stared at Sora in shock.

"You... what?"

He looked at this Minoru kid. That was his brother. He was actually related to him.

Minoru looked back. This was the famous Kirai. He wondered how much his parents hated him right now for getting to see him. "...hi."

This was extremely weird.

"Hey..," Kirai looked at Sora when he noticed something. "Wait.. I've been missing for twelve years and my parents were too busy to see me?" he asked, feeling a little hurt. "They wouldn't tell me the story, they refused to tell me why Kirai, I even asked many times for the story," Sora told him sadly.

She looked at Minoru and nodded to him to help her keep up this story and hoped he was a better liar then Kirai was. Kirai stared at a rock on the ground, thinking, when Minoru spoke up.

"They said.. that they're sorry they couldn't come. They wanted me to go with Sora that way I'd finally get to meet my brother even if they can't see you again," he said in a quiet voice.

"Were you..there...when I was taken away?" Kirai asked.

Minoru shook his head. "I was born a week after."

"Oh..happy late birthday then," Kirai said, trying to maybe lighten the mood a little. Everything seemed so sad.

Minoru almost smiled. "You too."

"We need to give you both a party!," Sora said happily, "But what should we do?..Hmmmm this needs planning," Sora giggled.

She looked at Kirai and pouted when he stayed a bit sad, "NNnnnoooo you can't be sad this needs to be a happy moment," Sora pouted. "Well I can't be happy, this is really sad," Kirai told her with a saddened smile. "He's been alive for like 12 years and he's known about me and I didn't know he existed. That's sad."

Sora pouted at him.

"But you can't be sad..if your sad then he will be sad and little brothers don't like to see their big brothers sad," Sora told him quietly sadly.

"That's true y'know," Minoru said quietly. Kirai looked at him and then at Sora. He sighed. "Ah fine. I'll be happy," he gave in. He looked at his little brother, slightly concerned. "Uh.. what happened to your arm?"


	13. After Battle 13

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirteen**

**Cloud and Alex fight for Prism**

"He was in the forest when I found him, and he told me he accidentally fell and hit a sharp stick or rock or something and hurt his arm. But I brought him here to get him patched up since they didn't have everything at home I needed to help him get patched up," explained Sora.

Lilly yawned and looked around when she heard Sora and Kirai talking to someone, she stretched to her paws and flicked her tail a second. She saw Sora and Kirai not far off, she saw that Cloud had fallen asleep and walked over to Sora and Kirai to let them know she would be out hunting again.

Sora turned when she saw Lilly walking over them, "What's up Lilly?," she asked. "Oh.. looks like you're about as clumsy as I am. Let's hope you're smarter," Kirai said to Minoru.

The twelve year old smiled. "Mom used to say you were a clueless kid."

"She was very right."

"Heyyy... what happened..," Cloud mumbled. He'd woken up when Lilly walked away. He tilted his head at the four of them. "What're you doing?" he asked sleepily, not making a move to get up. Lilly turned to him and gave him a small bark and nodded her head to the forest to tell him she was going hunting.

"Oh okay then go you don't need me to let you go out and hunt smart one," sighed Sora. She turned to Cloud, "If you want to go with her go ahead or go find Alex and Prism, you need some apologizing to do anyways," Sora slightly hissed at him.

"Maan, do I have to?" Cloud asked. Minoru looked at this new person warily. He was scary. He hadn't done anything and was completely harmless as of now, but there was just something about him that was.. scary.

Cloud sighed and sat up. "They're probably f-" He stopped his sentence.

He blinked and tilted his head at Minoru. "There is a child here. Why is there a child here?"

"Yes you have to Cloud," said Sora sternly.

Then she turned to Minoru when he looked at Kirai's little brother, "Because I brought him here, I'll explain later after you apologize to your sister and everyone else Cloud..or no cake for you," Sora told him.

She wrapped her arms around Kirai and snuggled him a bit before she saw Lilly starting to walk off and howl for a hunting party to meet her next to their usual tree. Cloud sighed again and stood up. He looked at Kirai and then at the kid. Why'd they look so alike? But he didn't ask. He had to think of something to say to Prism.

"Tch.. you don't have cake," Cloud grumbled and went off to find Prism and Alex.

Kirai tapped Minoru on the head. "Try and stay away from him."

Sora pouted and shouted back to Cloud, "I'm baking a cake later!"

Then she turned and looked at Minoru, "Don't go near him unless his girlfriend is with him..unlike when its them and me we never get along very well anyways," Sora explained. "In what oven?!" he shouted back, looking around. What direction had they gone in?

Minoru nodded at Sora. "Why is he so..."

"Creepy?" Kirai finished for him with a laugh. "That's Cloud for ya. He's just weird."

"Shut up! I'm baking it at the house when we go back later!," she shouted back to him and was tempted to try and load an arrow.

"Nooooo..he's fucking weird," Sora corrected them both with a nod of her head. She then looked at the ground for a minute and then back to Kirai. Before Kirai knew what happened next Sora kissed him again since it had been awhile since she had kissed him. "Uh huh, cause you definitely know how to make one anyway," Cloud said just loud enough that it could be faintly heard from where Sora was.

Kirai tried not to blush and Minoru laughed at his surprise. "Are you determined to kiss me in front of all my siblings?"

"..all..?" Minoru looked at Kirai, confused. Wasn't he the only one he'd met..?

"My brother from the family I was placed in," Kirai explained.

"..oh."

Minoru had a feeling he wouldn't like this person. Hopefully they'd never meet. "You asshole I can so bake a cake just you wait until you taste it!," Sora growled.

Then she looked back to Kirai and poked him,"Awwwww aren't you just so cute when you blush and try to hide it~," Sora said to him as she snuggled him.

"Yeah, his name his Taiki. And Yes, I am determined to do that just to see you blush every time," Sora giggled, she liked making him blush and kissed him again to make him blush more. "Noooo," Kirai whined, not succeeding in concealing his blush at all. "He's only twelve, he doesn't need to be mentally scarred just yett," he protested.

Minoru only laughed. "She can torture you all she wants. Let's remember. I had an older sister and she certainly didn't care whether her and her boyfriend kissed in front of me."

Sora giggled,"Sseeee he doesn't care Kirai," she said to him in a cute voice as she snuggled him.

Sora then snuggled him too much and ended up knocking him to the ground and yawned, "I'm not tired it's your imagination"

"Raaah! We can't fall asleep, he'll be all alone. And I'm not leaving him unattended while Cloud is roaming around here," Kirai told her, poking her insistently.

"What's so bad about him? Besides him being generally frightening?" Minoru asked curiously. "Just thats he's a complete asshat,"Sora said with a yawn, "He's a big boy Kirai and Lilly will be back soon..and so will Alex and Prism..," Sora yawned again. She waved off Kirai's poking her and started to fall asleep on him.

Kirai sighed at Sora and looked at Minoru. "She does this excessively. Sorry."

Minoru shrugged and sat down against a tree. "So how many people do you have in your little group?"

"Ummm... I think eight? That's counting me," Kirai answered after some mental counting. Sora was soon fast asleep on Kirai and snuggled him and tried to control the flame in her sleep so it would not appear in her sleep like last time.

Alex was waking up not long after and rubbed his eyes, "Hmm?"

"How did you meet all of them?" Minoru asked, a bit quieter this time so he wouldn't wake Sora.

"I got into a crap load of fights and got sent to this fighting school. Sora was there, and then a bunch of stuff happened, and we met Cloud and Prism and then Primrose showed up and.." Kirai stopped when he saw how confused Minoru looked.

"Y'know I'll just explain it when everyone shows up."

His little brother nodded. "Good idea."

Prism blinked her eyes open and looked around. "Who's there?"

She discovered it was Alex and she smiled sleepily. "Oh hai."

Lilly let a howl got through and once her hunting party showed up she sent half to find some berries for Sora for the cake that she heard about being shouted. And the rest went to go hunting.

Alex looked at her and smiled,"Hai~ should we get going back now? You seem better now after that nap," he said to her.

Sora mumbled something but stayed asleep and yawned again in her sleep and then accidentally cut herself with an arrow in her sleep in her side when an arrow cut a hole in the quiver. Prism yawned and tried to keep her eyes open. "Yeah I guess. And I am," she said with another tiny yawn. "I just wish I was still having it."

"PRIIIISSSMMMMM," Cloud yelled through the forest. "Where the fuck did you go."

"RAaaah," Prism groaned in annoyance. "I don't wanna talk to youuuu!" she yelled back.

Minoru tilted his head at the voices and looked at Kirai for help.

"Cloud and Prism. His twin sister."

"There are two of them..?"

"Unfortunately."

Alex groaned already and let his head fall back onto the leaves. He started to think of ways of how to make Cloud feel stupid, and then he had an idea. He sat back up and looked at Prism with calm eyes, and before she had any clue to his plan Alex started to kiss her again. Prism was surprised at the sudden action but went along with it anyway. Hah. Like she could've stopped him even if she wanted.

Which she didn't want to, by the way. Not in the least.

Cloud sighed and turned towards the direction that his sister's voice had come from. He didn't feel like apologizing. He was still pissed off and all he would get from her was a lecture. Alex wanted this to happen anyways but he didn't have the courage to kiss her in surprise this way. And he hoped it would make Cloud take a more brotherly side too. Alex deepened the kiss a bit and held Prism close.

Prism wondered what brought this on but only for a second. She tangled her fingers in his hair and let all her other thoughts go.

Cloud sighed as he looked around. It was probably going to take him a while to find them and-

what.

Oh hell no.

He promptly pulled out his second-favorite knife and threw it, about an inch shy from hitting Alex in the head. It cut Prism's finger and she jumped in surprise. Alex quickly broke the kiss and took her hand and looked at it, "What happened?," he asked her calmly acting like Cloud wasn't there at first and only focusing on Prism. He tore off a piece of his jacket and started to wrap her hand in the torn fabric.

"I-I don't.. know..?" Prism blinked. "Something cut me.."

"And something's gonna cut your boyfriend if he doesn't get off of you," Cloud said, sounding rather pissed off. Prism looked at him with wide eyes and a dark blush stained across her cheeks.

"C-Cloud.. heh.. now we're even? You caught me and I caught you? Isn't that funny? ..heh?" she stuttered.

Cloud did not look amused. Alex's eyes went wide and then turned when he saw Cloud.

"You'll be fine..after all if he tries to kill me, he'll find his ass up in Sora's arrows..unless he wants a shot at Green Rock for this?," asked Alex slightly nervous. Alex of course did not let go of Prism, he held onto her still even though Cloud had just threatened him.

"Eheheh.. I-I wouldn't test him.. a few years ago some guy hit on me in the hospital and he went pretty fucking insane," Prism said, holding onto Alex's shirt and feeling slightly scared for him.

Cloud was just glaring at him. His eyes almost looked darker. "..Raincloud?" Prism asked in a quiet voice, hoping the nickname would calm him down a little. "Why? I should get the chance to fight for you, after all, he can't always say some guy can't like you or fall for you," Alex told her. He looked down at her and patted her head, "Besides, who wouldn't want to fight for you? But only I get to, no other guy can have you," he told her and smiled at her.

He turned back to Cloud and then let go of Prism and stood up.

"Fight me for your sister then."

Alex drew his sword and then let his flame blaze.

Sora woke in an instant, she jumped up to her feet and her own flame blazed.

"Somethings wrong..Alex!,"Sora shouted and started to take off after him. She loaded her bow and made sure the arrow was ready to be sent flying if needed and jumped through the trees to move fast. Once she was a few feet away she dropped to the ground silently and moved forward quietly and waited for what would happen when she saw them.

Prism sat up and looked at the two boys worriedly. "..Guys.. don't..fight," she asked, feeling nervous. The two most important guys in the world for her fighting each other? That's not good. Cloud wasn't hesitant in drawing his own sword. His eyes didn't show any expression anymore. Prism tugged on her hair out of a nervous habit. "Cloud.. calm down.."


	14. After Battle 14

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle fourteen**

**Alex and Prism separated?**

Alex smirked as he let his flame be the only thing to show that he was showing his weakness. He looked back at Prism and gave her a smile, "I'll be fine, I promise you," he said to her calmly.

Sora growled before either of them had moved, she quickly loaded five arrows and then pulled back on the bow string. Before either of them could move Sora let the five arrows fly at Cloud and quickly followed after them and jumped in front of Alex.

"Knock it off! If you hurt Alex. Then I'll make sure you end up in a box sent to Alaska all tied up and ready for the wolves up there to eat you," Sora hissed. Her flame blazed a protective red color that proved she wasn't going to let Cloud hurt him.

"Now what happened?"

Cloud let go of his sword and let it clatter to the ground, hoping maybe Sora would back the fuck up knowing he didn't have anything except a small knife. "He was touchin' all up on Prism," he said angrily.

"No he wasn't you dipshit!"

"Same thing! If I hadn't walked over here I'm sure it would've led to that!"

Prism sighed angrily. "You're an idiot."

Sora relaxed a bit more when Cloud dropped his knife and then watched as Alex threw his sword to the side to show Sora he wouldn't be tempted to draw it again.

Sora was still giving Cloud a cold stare, "And you really think Alex would go that far? He just got out of the government I haven't even given him that talk yet myself..idiot so it's not like he would..be okay with that himself. He barely even knows about outside the government so do you really think he even knows about that yet?," Sora deadpanned to Cloud icily.

Alex walked back to Prism and wrapped his arms around her to try and keep her calm. Cloud looked at Sora blankly. "Do you really think all that went through my mind before I had a knife out? No. The only thing that I knew was that was my sister and he's a guy and they were making out and that's not good," he said, shooting a small glare at Alex.

Prism glared at her brother, regaining the anger she still had towards him in a second. "Cloud I can take care of myself, thanks."

"Like that matters to me."

Sora glared at Cloud and growled at him, "He can't even think that far! Do you honestly think he would do that?," she asked him.

Then she turned when she remembered Prism, "And I told you to come here and apologize to your sister! Attacking him didn't get you any happy hugs from her," Sora told him sternly.

She then let her arms dropped but didn't put her bow away yet, "And now you get no cake later tonight either," Sora told him. Cloud sighed heavily. "My god Sora. It didn't matter who it was, didn't I just say that? It could've been Kirai for all I care, the only thing that I was concerned with was that it was Prism."

"And you're not my mother. You can't tell me what to do anyway," he told her with a glare. Sora reached behind her and started to load her bow again and raised it half way at him.

"Do you wanna try and say that again?," Sora asked him icily and her flame blazed brighter as her anger sparked again.

"You wanna bet I can't? What if I get Artemis and Lilly on your ass?"

"I know very well of the various ways you can injure me and honestly I don't care who you involve in them or how malicious they are. You won't kill me anyway," Cloud said calmly.

"And no, don't take that as a challenge. Because it isn't, it's the truth."

"I don't care anymore! You know what Cloud..If you can't stay as part of the group then get the fuck away from all us and do us all a favor. Because lately you've been more of an asshole than ever," Sora told him with anger in her voice.

"I don't care if it was..you wouldn't be worth a fight anymore," Sora grabbed Alex by the wrist and yanked him away from Prism. Alex went wide eyed as Sora started to drag him away from Prism and walked out of the area.

"Sora don't-!" Prism took a step forward to follow after Alex but stopped and looked at Cloud. Why was she about to cry? She really didn't know. "Cloud you fucked everything up!"

Prism was getting closer to tears as Alex got farther away. "Why do you let any tiny thing that happens to you affect everyone?! I've lived my whole life keeping all my thoughts to myself, why can't you do the same?! If you're so pissed off and sad then go do something about it, don't be a bitch to everyone else! Jesus, I just- I hate you!"

"But Sora-,"Alex stopped talking when he felt his throat tighten around his voice and his vision blurred from the tears falling down his face.

Sora didn't acknowledge that he was crying, she didn't slow down her pace as she rushed back to Kirai and Minoru. The moment she was back in the clearing she tossed Alex back against and sat him down roughly, "You stay put. If you even think. About heading back I'll make sure you can't go Green Rock ever again!, "Sora shouted at him.

Alex stared at her with wide eyes and still filled with tears; he gave her a nod and then wrapped his arms around his legs and cried.

Sora walked away from him and started to head up a different tree angrily, obviously interrupting a conversation that Kirai and Minoru were having as she returned unhappily.

Never had they used that word on each other. Not once. Not jokingly, not being serious. Never.

Until now.

Prism didn't care that Cloud suddenly looked sad and that he was trying to talk but she was interrupting him. "It can't always be about you, okay?! We can't stop everything and fix Cloud's love life just to make him happy! You just ruined mine!" She would've wiped away her tears but they would just replenish themselves anyway.

"Prism-"

"No! No talking, you bastard! You know I've never liked anyone and now the one guy I did is being kept away from me because you're a whining, bitchy little fuckass!"

Kirai and Minoru looked at Alex in confusion, both sharing the same look of puzzlement. Minoru really was a mini-Kirai.

"What happened..?" Kirai asked carefully. Alex was crying? That couldn't be good. Sora refused to even answer Kirai or even acknowledge that he had asked anything, she ignored him entirely and said nothing to him. Sora instead sat in the tree on a branch and loaded an arrow and let it fly as she hit a bird.

Alex looked up from his spot and gave Sora a quick look and guessed it would be alright to explain since she obviously wasn't talking much.

"C-Cloud came along when..he caught me kissing Prism..and I really really like her..but he didn't take it so well. So Sora came and saved me from an almost fight, then they got into an argument with each other...and now...,"Alex barely finished what he was saying. He started to cry more as he thought about how he would be kept away from Prism now and Sora would be keeping an eye on him more to make sure of the distance.

"Prism stop it! I know, okay?!" Cloud snapped at her, his volume almost high enough to be considered a yell.

"Then why didn't you stop?!" Prism shouted back. Her fingers were curled into a fist and she was digging into her skin with her nails. Prism shook her head. "God I hate you so much!"

"Believe me, so do I! But it's not my fault that I let my emotions out there! What were you always telling me when we were kids? That I had to tell you everything, so I listened to you and now you're fucking mad about it!"

"I didn't say you could be a jackass and make everyone else miserable just because you are!" She stared at the ground and contemplated how much she would dislike herself for stabbing him. Both Minoru and Kirai were silent. Minoru because he didn't really know what was going on, and Kirai because that was just really suckish.

"..I can talk to Sora about it," Kirai offered in a quiet voice. "And Lilly can talk to Cloud about it.."

Alex looked up at Kirai with tear filled eyes and tried to wipe them away the best he could with a nod of his head. But he kept crying anyways and leaned his head onto his knees and let himself cry.

Sora sat in the tree and stared into the distance angrily while she kicked a branch and broke it. The branch hit the ground with a snap and she stared into the distance and started to kick the tree with the back of her foot.

"You know what, don't talk to me. Like, never. If I wanna talk to you I'll come find you. Other than that stay the fuck away from me," Prism said, turning around and kicking a tree.

"I should've never cloned you."

And she walked away.

Cloud didn't know you could start crying so fast. He'd gone from okay to not in a matter of seconds.

Kirai looked up at Sora and sighed. "I really can't climb trees," he whispered to himself. Nevertheless, he stood up and walked to the base of the huge plant. He stared up at Sora. "..you alright?"

Minoru felt sad along with everyone else. Poor Alex. He didn't know him at all but he seemed to be really really upset. If he wasn't a stranger he probably would've hugged him or something. Sora was silent for a few moments before she processed the fact that Kirai was at the base. She looked down at him with expressionless eyes for a couple of seconds.

"...Not really..," she replied to him. She wanted to jump out of the tree and hug him, but didn't trust herself not to hurt him by accident with the fact that she had her bow loaded again.

Alex cried his eyes out until he couldn't cry anymore, he leaned his chin on the top of his knees. Still a few tears were still falling down his face mysteriously and he looked ahead of him. Almost wishing and waiting for the government to come back to life and take him away again.

Kirai looked at her with sad eyes for a few seconds before he spoke again. "You know you can't keep them away from each other right?" he asked quietly, but loud enough for her to hear up there. "That'd be like separating us."

What had he just done?

Probably the worst thing possible. No question.

Cloud walked to the nearest tree and punched it as hard as he could, not even paying attention to the cuts he received on his knuckles from it. He deserved them.

Sora threw the arrow with her hand and sent it straight into a tree and growled. "If Cloud wants to be a fucking asshole let him...and if he doesn't want my brother to make her happy because I know they were..then fine..Cloud doesn't deserve to have a sister like her who's only been there for him! And if he can't accept that..then...I will not let Alex stay anywhere near her!," Sora shouted angrily.

Alex started to try and stand up on his own already from his dazed demeanor and kept falling back against the tree instead. "Don't punish her for it.. she can't control Cloud." Kirai found it ironic that he was defending Prism. Only a few months back he would've done anything but that.

"Just keep those two away from Cloud.. god knows he's gonna come running back here begging for her forgiveness when he doesn't deserve it."

"Does it matter? Really? I'm fucking done with Cloud being a whiny baby everyday again and again. He can fucking find somewhere else to live and hang out with..If he even comes near either of them...I'll tear him to shreds all over again," Sora said angrily.

She looked at him and sighed heavily,"...Fine..but hes not anywhere allowed near even close to them! If he takes even a step towards either..he can find an arrow in him," Sora growled. She was done playing nice, he was her friend, she knew that much, but she couldn't take his bitch whining. Kirai nodded at her in agreement. That was a start. Prism would miss him and they'd make up. He hoped. He wasn't exactly sure how Cloud and Prism acted when they were mad at each other. He wasn't sure if it had ever happened either.

Prism slashed everything she passed on her venture through the trees. She stopped at a stream and stared down at her reflection in the water. Why did she and Cloud have to look alike? She wanted nothing to do with him. If she could dye her hair she would. Prism stabbed the water with the tip of her sword and glared at the ripples in the water.

So much. She hated him so much. Sora nodded and then sighed. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Alex was trying to walk away now; she jumped down from the tree and just stayed her distance from him for now. She looked at Kirai with harsh cold eyes but you could still see that tint of sadness. Artemis and Primrose came out of nowhere when they heard the splash nearby and saw that it was Prism. "You alright there?," asked Artemis.


	15. After Battle 15

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle fifteen**

**Fixing the problem**

Kirai looked at her sadly and wanted to hug her, but thought that she probably wasn't in the mood for it. Why'd Cloud have to mess everything up? It was always him.

"No!" Prism shouted at him. She spun around and glared at Artemis. "Cloud is the biggest fucking asshole on the entire world and he ruins everything and he's an idiot and he's a whiny little bitch and I hate him!"

Primrose stayed quiet. She was a bit too scared to ask what had happened. Sora just walked back over to the base of a tree and sat down. She threw the quiver and bow half way across the field away from her in anger. She sat against the tree and leaned her head back onto the tree and closed her eyes.

She opened then again and then turned to Kirai and tried to smile, but found it was fake, she turned away again. Instead she went back to lying down on the grass and closed her eyes and tried to sleep it off.

Artemis looked at her and flinched a bit.

"I heard what you said about changing your looks...I can still do that if you want..I have the device that changed the rest of from you both before and it works..do you really wanna change how you look", he asked her. Kirai felt a small pang of sadness when he saw Sora's fake smile. And now he wanted to kill Cloud.

He sighed and walked back over to Minoru and sat down angrily.

"..um.. what exactly happened?" he asked nervously.

"Cloud got protective of his sister and fucked absolutely everything up, just like he always does."

Prism looked at him for a second before turning away and sighing. "No.. then I wouldn't be me," she said quietly.

She looked back down at the water again and poked a fish with her sword. It swam away quickly. "What do you do when you hate the most important person in your life?"

Sora curled up in the grass and fell into a deep sleep. She let herself shift a bit as she got more comfortable and then stopped moving when she finally hit a deep sleep and wouldn't be awake for a while.

Alex looked over at Minoru and Kirai with tearless eyes but his face was stained with tears with now.

"..We don't have to change you if you don't want to," said Artemis calmly as he looked at her.

Then he sighed when she asked him that and thought about how many times Sora had told him that, "Well...if thats what you told Cloud..then maybe keep your space for now and let this blow over. At some point you'll forgive him, but if it was that bad, I suggest don't go near him for now since you may still be angry enough to say it again. You both need your space and he will realize at some point that what he did was wrong, but he needs to see that for himself Prism," Artemis told her.

Kirai looked up at Alex. Minoru noticed and turned to glance at him too.

"..you okay?" they both asked in a whisper, like they were afraid of speaking too loudly, as if it would make him sadder than he already was.

Prism sighed and looked at the ground. "Yeah I guess.. but do you really think he's going to admit that..? He's Cloud.. and I have a feeling nobody's going to talk to him for a while.. he's just gonna have time to think about this and get madder and probably hate me more," she worried. Even when she hated him, she still didn't want him thinking negatively of her. Alex looked at them and nodded a bit. "..Kinda...I'm just..tired...,"he said in a quiet voice. He then looked at the ground and sat back down; he looked over at Sora and then shook his head. He wanted to go and crawl with her and sleep but was afraid.

"You never know Prism...I mean after all he and Sora are still friends even if they do still get into the worst fights ever. You and Sora are friends now so nothing is impossible. And look at Alex, he was from the government and yet she made him so innocent that he became dependent on her like a child," Artemis told her.

"Besides..if Lilly comes back tonight it won't take her long to slap some sense into him and make him see what's happened. He won't hate you more; he'll hate himself more for never apologizing the right way to you."

Neither of the boys acknowledged that it was not just him being tired. There was no point.

Kirai wondered if Prism would show up anytime soon. Her and Cloud weren't in a fight were they? Probably not. They cared about each other too much.

"Let's hope she comes back then.."

Prism looked up at the sky. She wanted to slap herself for worrying about Cloud so much. He was sixteen, dammit. He could take care of himself. Worry about yourself for a change. You're supposed to be mad.

She bantered mentally with herself before remembering that the two of them were still there. She looked at Artemis. This was kind of because of him, but she wasn't going to blame him for anything. It was Cloud's fault for acting like an idiot. Alex just laid down in the grass and felt his eyes close and then move to his side and fell asleep with slightly steady breathing.

"She will, I'm sure she will and I'll bet she'll bring a few of her pack wolves with her carrying some prey or something"

Artemis gave her a look and shook his head.

"It's alright, if you want to argue with yourself about it you can. You feel bad too, that's going to happen, it happens to everyone, and I just don't want you two to hold it against each other for whatever happened. Besides, he can't always be there, he needs to learn that at some point he will end up having to worry about himself occasionally and you'll be fine."

Prism sighed again and nodded slowly. "Yeah I guess you're right.."

She looked up at him and smiled a little bit at him or at least the best she could. "Thanks."

She looked around and tried to remember which direction Sora had run off in and which way to go from here. "I guess I should go find Alex now," she said in a quiet voice. "We were just heading back. Want to come back with us? I bet that's where they are," said Artemis as he held a hand out to her to help her over the water. "Sure," she said, grateful for the help. She definitely would've gotten lost. Prism carefully took his hand and stepped on a rock in the middle of the river to get across to their side.

Primrose refrained from glaring at her. He was just helping. That wasn't anything special.

Artemis smiled at her.

"So come on let's get back both of you. You take a nap Primrose since your sleepy, and Prism, talk to Sora; maybe you can change her mind," said Artemis. Primrose didn't argue with that proposition. She was really tired. However Artemis had saved her and sucked pretty much all of the life out of her.

How had that happened anyway?

"Oh that's gonna be fun," Prism said unenthusiastically. Artemis looked at her.

"what's wrong Primrose? You seem bothered by something," he said to her as he glanced at her. Then he glanced at Prism, "Well just try at least, and if anything I'll get Kirai to keep by her side and keep her calm."

"Hm? Oh I was just wondering about things," Primrose answered. She didn't want to ask him again. It seemed like a forbidden subject. And plus, she doubted Artemis would tell her anything.

Prism looked doubtful. "He doesn't always keep her calm though.."

"Alright then, and I bet by tomorrow you'll feel so much better that you won't need as much sleep anymore," he told her with a smile.

"I know he doesn't, but maybe he can this time I mean she can't stay mad forever now can she?," Artemis asked her calmly. "I hope so," Primrose said with a tiny yawn, which she tried to conceal from Artemis. She didn't want to take that nap now that she was curious, and her yawning would lower her chances of getting out of it.

Prism laughed a little. "Yes she can. She stayed mad at her parent's murderers for her whole life, didn't she?"

Artemis sighed and patted Primrose on the head, "Yes, but she forgave them after sometime don't forget and she became slight friends with them too," Artemis reminded her. He looked at her, "You can take your nap after you talk with Sora."

Prism sighed in defeat. No winning this argument. "I guess."

Primrose pouted up at Artemis. "Nooo. I'm gonna miss everything again.. and why do I have to talk to her?!"

"Dear, you don't have to talk to Sora, but it would be nice if you were with Prism while she talked to Sora. She might need someone by her side too," Artemis told her calmly with a smile. "Oh." Primrose glanced at Prism and was surprised at how sad and confused she looked. Normally Cloud was the one with emotions showing, no matter how backwards that was from when she first met him. "..okay. But I'm not taking a nap."

"Oh. Fine. You don't have to take a nap," sighed Artemis. He led them back and then saw they were back and looked around the area everyone was spread out and not close to each other.

"...Miss something here?"

"Yay~" Primrose smiled with her victory.

Kirai looked up when he heard Artemis. "Everyone's just sad or pissed off," he said in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake everyone up. Minoru had fallen asleep too. Artemis waved Kirai over and wanted to find out what happened or at least try and figure out what he knew about what had happened.

"So what exactly happened? Sora usually never takes a nap away from you. And this is the first time I've seen Alex this mellow even take a nap and who's that kid?," he asked Kirai. Kirai yawned. He hadn't been able to sleep. "Well. Alex came in here all crying and stuff and Sora was pissed off, so I asked her about it and then she was all 'Cloud doesn't deserve to have her as a sister' and then she fell asleep. Oh and that's my brother."

Artemis stared at him and blinked. He tried to process everything he was just told, he could process the part of his brother but not so much of the fight between those three.

"So..what exactly happened between those three?"

Kirai sighed as he tried to remember. It had been quite hard to process what Alex had said while he was crying. "I think Prism and Alex were making out or something, and Cloud walked in and flipped his shit, and then he and Alex almost got into a fight. And then Sora came along and said fuck you Cloud, you're an asshole and your sister can't see Alex anymore and dragged Alex here. And then Prism and Cloud probably yelled at each other for a while," he explained.

Artemis nodded then turned to Prism to confirm.

"Does that sum up what happened? Because if Sora's that pissed we may need to wake her up and talk to her and then talk to Cloud afterwards even if you don't want to," said Artemis. Prism nodded at him. "That's pretty much spot on."

She looked over at Alex and wanted to go over to him, but had a feeling Sora would spontaneously wake up if she did. So she stayed put. Maybe he'd wake up and then go to her and then it wouldn't be her fault.

"Well..let's go talk to her now. I don't care if she's sleeping wake her up and lets have this talk with her already so we can fix this and then someone can kick Cloud's ass later," said Artemis.

It wasn't that much longer until Lilly and her hunting pack, Lilly and the others helped carry a deer they took down while the others carried leaves of berries. They looked around and each growled when they could feel the tension. "I volunteer for that," Kirai said in a slightly more enthusiastic tone. He looked over at Sora. "She's probably going to yell at us, just sayin'."

He walked over to her and carefully tapped her on the head. "Hey Sora. Wake up."

Cloud collapsed to the ground carelessly. He was panting for air now and he was exhausted, having just spent the last thirty minutes attacking various trees around him nonstop. He still didn't feel like any less of an asshole. Which was good, because he was still a huge one.

How was he going to fix this one? Sora grumbled in her sleep as she turned over on her side and tried to shoo him away as she tried to curl back up into a ball.

"Nnooo.," she mumbled to him in her sleep.

Lilly turned back into a person and growled a bit, "what the hell happened here?"


	16. After Battle 16

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle sixteen**

**Problem resolved between two**

Kirai continued to tap her. "Hey. Get up. You have visitors," he said, taking her pigtails and slightly tugging on them teasingly. "Awakennn."

Prism looked up at Lilly. "A lot happened."

Sora groaned in annoyance when she propped herself up on her elbows,"Whaaaaat?!," she whined in a childish voice and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I was taking a naaaap."

"Alright. What did he do this time?"

"I noticed," Kirai said with a smile. She was always so cute when she woke up. "Prism's here."

Prism found it extremely amusing how she knew it was Cloud automatically. "He became the biggest asshole on the face of the earth."

"Do I haaaave to talk to her nnooowww? I wanna sleeeep," Sora complained as she rolled over onto her back and stared up at Kirai.

"Want me to kick his ass for you now? I can find him in like two seconds."

Kirai nodded down at her. "Yes, yes you do. Right now. Up," he said, holding out his hand to help her stand up.

"Sure. Please take your merry time in doing so."

Sora pouted at him and crossed her arms. "But I wanna sleeeeeep," she whined as she sat up and continued to pout at him.

"Not a problem," said Lilly and then she turned back to a wolf and started to run through the forest until she found Cloud. Once she saw him she padded from behind him and nudged him with her muzzle. "Too bad." Kirai looked down at her and tried to seem serious. But it didn't work too well and he just ended up smiling because of her pouting.

Cloud sighed and closed his eyes. He really didn't want to talk to anyone, no person in the world. "What," he said, completely intending for it to come out as harsh as it did. Maybe she'd go away.

Sora grumbled again before she slowly sat up and faced them. She leaned against Kirai like a pillow still as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes, "What?," she asked annoyed.

Lilly glared at him and then turned back into a person as she smacked him on the head.

"What the hell went through your head today? Prism is pissed. Alex is crying. Sora has anger out again like when she wanted to kill you for revenge. What in the damned world could've made them so pissed at you this time?"

Kirai patted her on the head. "See, getting up wasn't so bad," he teased. He looked up at Prism and she shifted nervously. She felt weird talking to Sora after what had just happened. "I just..wanted to talk to you..about what happened," she said in a quiet voice, glancing over at Alex briefly before looking at Sora again.

"What made them so pissed is, I'm the biggest fuckwit in the world," Cloud said, looking up at her blankly. He didn't make a move to stand up.

Sora looked up at Kirai when he patted her on the head and sighed. Then she looked at Prism when she brought up about happened earlier. Sora restrained herself from already yelling at the girl and just replied as calmly as she could.

"So...what about it?," she said trying to make it not sound as icy.

Lilly rolled her eyes and went to go sit in front of Cloud and made him look her in the eyes. "I heard what you did actually..But listen, even if you are the biggest fuckwit ever. Your mine and you need to think before you say anything about what I'm going to say to you."

"What you did was wrong; yes I understand you got protective. But you need to understand that she's not a little girl anymore Cloud. Your sister is old enough to love someone even if it isn't always you even in a family way. She really likes Alex and he likes her. And they want to be together. You didn't need to hurt the boy; all you could've done was tap them on the shoulder and ask what was going on."

Lilly looked at him for a moment before she continued making sure he was listening to her. She was hoping he did understand what she meant; she didn't want him yelling at her too and then her attacking him out of frustration. It wouldn't be fair to him and she thought it wouldn't be fair to Prism either no matter how much she wanted Lilly to hurt Cloud after what he had done today.

"I remember when it took me forever to admit it to you, and you admitted it to me when we were alone and your sister who is just as protective over you didn't overreact like you did. She got you cloned because she didn't want to be alone without her brother Cloud. She's old enough to take care of herself when she loves someone that isn't you. After all, where would be now and where would Alex be if he hadn't fallen for her?" Lilly wanted to make him think about that last question and how many things could've wrong.

Cloud looked at her, taking a second to think about what she'd said. His anger and sadness was reflected in his eyes. It was kind of hard to tell which there was more of. He wanted to scream but at the same time he felt like crying. Just not in front of Lilly.

"I still don't like it," he said, his voice without emotion. "And you know it's not like me to politely interrupt people. Plus the knife missed him so."

Cloud looked at the ground and pushed around a small pebble. "Plus Prism hates me anyway so there's probably no point in trying to fix this. I can just go back to living in that cave and killing people like I used to."

"I'm sorry about.. Cloud.. I told him off so he'll go away for a while," Prism said, already sensing that Sora was pissed off again just at the mention of this subject. "So..he won't be able to hurt Alex... so can I still see him?"

Lilly looked at Cloud and shook her head at him a bit and then sighed. "I know you don't like it Cloud. But would you really want your own sister to miss a part of happiness that maybe she never got to feel before? What if she never got this feeling? She's a girl, it was bound to happen at some and he did protect you all from fighting the Shooters don't forget. He protected you and your sister and Sora kept you both safe too."

Lilly gave him a sad look when he mentioned that cave again, "If you go back...then I might as well stay a wolf forever..since you wouldn't need me anymore if you did that..."

Sora fought the urge to shout at the girl in front of her. "...I don't give a fuck what he does..friend or not he shouldn't have tried to hurt my brother...fucking asshole," Sora growled. She gave Prism another look before sighing and remembered her talk with Kirai,"...Fine..."

Cloud sighed heavily. His earlier outburst of rage was starting to take a toll on him and he suddenly felt the urge to just fall asleep right there. "I know, I know. I was wrong. But still. I just don't like it. But I'll pretend like I'm fine. Apparently I really need to start doing that anyway."

He looked at Lilly with an expression that was more sad than irritated like it had been this whole time. "You'll end up hating me too, it won't matter."

Prism sighed. "I know.." She felt like everyone blamed her for Cloud's outburst. Maybe it was her fault. She didn't tell him to calm down soon enough.

She restrained herself from hugging Sora into oblivion when she agreed to let them see each other. "Thanks," she managed to say without exploding.

"If you don't want to be happy then don't act it. Show it. But just make sure you keep your distance from them for now then," Lilly advised. She looked away at him when he said that, "I wouldn't hate you...I can't...But you've been so distant from me lately..it just feels like you don't want me around anymore..so its just made me think that you would rather be alone then be with me anymore...but..if you wanna be alone..then alright I'll just keep to myself if you want," Lilly told him. She started to try and reach for him but then stopped herself and slowly started to turn back into a wolf and looked at him sadly.

Sora just rolled her eyes. "Yeah whatever. Is this over yet? Cause I wanna sleeeeep,"Sora complained again with a hint of anger about the subject still.

"It's not that I don't want you around," Cloud said quickly, looking up immediately when she said that. "I just.. I've been really confused and I didn't want to take anything out on you. And don't turn into a wolf because then you won't remember anything I'm saying."

"I want to be alone because I keep hurting everyone.. if you're around me then the same's gonna happen to you," he said quietly.

Prism nodded. "Yep. Go to sleep~" she said. She practically skipped over to Alex and sat down in front of him. She tilted her head at the sleeping boy and poked him. "Heyyy. Wake up."

Lilly looked at him when she was half way through turning into a wolf.

"Yet I protected you ever since I was picked for your team that day..I never let you get hurt I took every hit for you and made sure you got away safely and didn't care how badly I got hurt for you," Lilly told him with already saddened eyes.

"If you wanna hurt me..then go ahead...I still love you and will do anything to make you happy no matter what."

Sora glomped onto Kirai knocking him into the grass and used him as a pillow as she fell back to sleep on her new pillow. "Comfy."

Alex slowly lifted his head up and looked around; he gently rubbed his eyes and looked up with sleepy eyes. "Hm?"

Cloud tilted his head at her with a sad look. "Why would I want to hurt you? None of this was on purpose," he told her. The look in her eyes was making him want to slap himself for making her sad. He probably would've but she would have gotten mad at him for it.

Kirai only shook his head with an amused smile. He was so used to this. "Of course."

Prism smiled at Alex. "Hiiii~"

Lilly looked at the ground and stopped her wolf side and then stared at the ground in silence. She took out her dagger and started to stab the ground with the blade and made sure it cut the ground deeply.

Alex looked up at her with tired eyes. He was too tired to even process that it was Prism since he just laid his head on her lap and fell back to sleep and snuggled back into a ball.

"He's tired," chuckled Artemis.

Cloud stared at her blankly.

"..don't stab your hand again," he said quietly, remembering how that had led to her confessing to him. That seemed like forever ago.

Prism glared at Alex and poked him. "Hey! Be excited!"

She sighed before she smiled a little bit. That was pretty cute actually. Lilly looked up at him and smiled a bit.

"Maybe I will maybe I won't...It's the way you got me to confess remember?," she asked him.

Alex stayed curled up in a ball and stayed asleep too tired to even acknowledge that she had poked him. "Let him sleep for now Prism, since he's probably not used to crying, he may be more exhausted then we would be," said Artemis.

Cloud nodded and looked at the dagger Lilly was holding and smiled. "I think that's the same dagger too.."

"Ah fine," Prism gave up and laid down on her back and stared up at the sky. "He's probably never cried before has he?" That must be weird then. Lilly looked at him with soft smile.

"Yeah, it is, you can see my slight blood stain on it still since we only let it drop after I got hurt remember?," she told him.

"He probably hasn't, and he's probably never had someone to cry over before either since he was kept inside this whole time," said Artemis as he held onto Primrose.

"I was freaking the fuck out, I wasn't about to pick up that damned knife," Cloud said, wishing he wasn't smiling. He was too upset to be smiling.

Prism frowned a little. "That's really sad."

Primrose yawned. "Nyaa.. you're making me tiiired," she said, leaning against Artemis. "Quit it."

"What for? Did you think you would get infected with Lilly blood?," laughed Lilly as she kept stabbing the ground. She stared at the ground as she spoke to him unsure if he really was smiling or not.

"It is, but there was nothing we could do since we didn't know about him at the time," sighed Artemis. He looked at Primrose and laughed, "Nope, its nap time missy~"

"No, it's just I was more concerned with the fact that you were bleeding," Cloud said, watching her in amusement.

Prism smiled up at the sky. "Good thing we do now," she said quietly, more to herself. Primrose pouted up at Artemis. "But you said I didn't have tooo."


	17. After Battle 17

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle seventeen**

**Tricking and self-pain causing**

Lilly rolled her eyes and felt her shyness from that moment starting to build up again as she became silent again as before. She just nodded and kept stabbing the ground more every time.

Artemis nodded," Yeah, and I bet Sora had something to do about his personality being created," he turned to Primrose with a smile and snuggled her. "But I'm not the one falling asleep here on my own," he laughed. Cloud tilted his head at her and felt his sadness come back. "What's wrong?" he asked in a whisper.

Primrose yawned again against her will. "I am not..falling... asleep," she said unconvincingly, fighting to keep her eyes open.

Lilly looked away. And just like before she slipped up again and instead of stabbing the ground she ended up stabbing her thigh this time. Her eyes went wide in pain and she bit her lip to suppress the cry of pain and then also cut her lip with her canines.

"Yes you aaarreee," teased Artemis as he poked her in the nose. "Nap time for Primrose," he teased. Cloud blinked at her and almost laughed at the irony of this situation. He crawled over to her and looked at the injury. "Wow. The bandages are back with everyone else," he said with a frown. He couldn't go back there.

"Nyooo," Primrose argued. She pouted up at him sleepily. "No naptime for Primrose."

Lilly kept biting her lip only causing her blood to drip from her lip. She pressed her hand onto the wound but the blood wouldn't stop. Lilly started to whimper in pain already when she pain was shooting through her now.

Artemis laughed and smiled at her. "It will be if Primrose falls asleep on me"

Cloud suddenly realized that this was actually a pretty bad situation. He told himself not to panic. "Uhhh.."

He looked down at his sleeve, the one that was still intact, and decided that it was as good a bandage as anything. He ripped the end of it off and tore that into a long strip of fabric. He carefully used it as a makeshift bandage for Lilly's stab wound.

Cloud looked at her with worry. "You okay?"

"Shut upp," Primrose whined, about to give up this fight. "You don't win this you know."

Lilly watched him tie the makeshift bandage on her injury with slightly curious eyes before she looked up at him again. Her eyes obviously still saying she was in pain and tried not to let herself cry in pain. She kept whimpering though no matter how hard she had tried to stop herself from doing that.

She could only nod to him without trying to open her mouth.

Artemis laughed and then laid down with her and cuddled her, "I know..now get some sleep if you're tired."

Cloud looked at her with doubting eyes. "No you're not. This is why we don't stab things," he said sadly.

Primrose finally gave up and fell asleep against him, mumbling something about this not being over.

Prism looked over at them and made sure Primrose was definitely asleep before she looked at Artemis. "So what're you gonna do about him?" she asked curiously, keeping a lower volume so as not to wake any of the others. Lilly just kept looking at him and trying not to say anything. But she eventually saw the blood from her lip so she had no choice but to release her bite in her lip. She used her sleeve to wipe the blood away but found it only smearing it.

Artemis laughed when she fell asleep and patted her head a bit. Then he looked up to Prism.

"I have no idea...I could always use that thing that makes a person forget their emotions for another like being in love with him..but I don't know if I should," he told her with a sigh. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out an emerald colored liquid in a vile to show her.

Cloud frowned at Lilly and wished he had magical little potions lying around like Artemis always did. But he didn't. "Don't hurt yourself more doing that.."

"Eh. I don't think he'd want that used on him." Prism said, thinking. "Cloud's never really liked anyone.. besides Lilly of course.. and much less a guy.. so I can't really tell what he's gonna end up doing," she said with a sigh.

"Knowing Cloud he'll just beat himself up over it until he forgets about it. But that could take a while."

"D-doing what?," she asked in a forced voice that was obviously holding back the pain she was feeling. She tried to act happy and smile but she couldn't since she was in pain.

"Well then..he can beat himself up over this because he caused this. Its his fault and he just made friends with Sora and he has to realize that if he can't at least stay in check she will go back to hating him again...and I know she doesn't want to at this point again, not after what he's done for her already," Artemis told her with a smirk.

"Biting your lip. And you're obviously hurt so don't try and pretend like you're happy," Cloud told her, glaring at the dagger she'd stabbed herself with. "You needa stop using that thing.."

Prism laughed. "Pardon me dear, but I think YOU caused this," she said with a giggle. "But yeah, he does need to see that. Hopefully Lilly will sear that into his brain with some major scolding."

She looked at him with surprise when he told her to stop using her dagger. "But that's the main weapon I use now! My sword got broken in the fight back at the government!," Lilly said in a pain filled panicked voice over the dagger.

"Hey. Now I didn't tell him to go liking me. And should've thought about his actions first and second he's pissed over your make session remember? He's not mad at his problems over me at the moment," laughed Artemis.

"And she should..she'll make him feel guilty, her other specialty back in the government was emotional use to make others see their mistakes."

"Well then stop using it to stab the ground or the wall or any other structure that you take out your frustration on," Cloud told her. "This is twice that you've done this."

"Yeah, at the moment," Prism laughed. "As soon as he stops thinking about what happened today he'll start thinking about you again, trust me," she told him.

"Really? Huh.. that seems like a good job for her actually."

Lilly pouted at him, "Then how else do you expect me to take out my frustrations? On another one of my pack? Or should I jump off a cliff or fight another random ass person?," Lilly asked. She had never been taught another way to kill off her frustrations when she had been part of the government at some point.

"Well let me hope he can forget about it eventually at least," Artemis said with a smile before he tried to throw the thought from his mind.

"It is..and it should work on him just fine."

Cloud laughed at her. "You don't always have to attack something.. just go scream at a tree or rant to someone," he suggested. He felt hypocritical. He just used this whole section of the forest to take out his anger.

"Good."

Prism sighed and smiled a little at her thoughts. "It's a shame though.. you guys would be cute together," she said teasingly.

"And just how would I do that? I have to take care of my pack and help you guys eat when I go hunting, in case you forgot my pack still has over two hundred wolves and already has plenty of pups who can already eat solid foods. I can't go do that without needing to hurt something," complained Lilly.

"Shut up you spazz," Artemis said with a look that told her he would attack her with a pillow if he ever found one or a pile of leaves. Cloud shrugged and looked around. "Well you can hurt trees, as I have displayed here," he said, gesturing to the broken tree limbs and slashed up pieces of bark scattered everywhere.

"Ohoho, not gonna deny it? So you agree?" Prism asked with a smirk. She knew she was testing his patience but didn't care all that much. "In case you forgot my sword got broken..the way to do that is to stab it now..unless my sword gets fixed or if I get a new one..or...maybe try it as a wolf but I may end up killing someone while a wolf though," sighed Lilly. She looked around her and laughed and then finally started to try more of her skill she had rarely ever used this one.

Lilly looked at him and started to hug and snuggle him.

"I am denying it..just not letting you have the pleasure of continuing this talk," sighed Artemis.

Cloud was going to respond to him before he became very confused at her sudden affection. "..Whatcha doin'?" he asked curiously, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Oh I'm gonna have it either way," Prism said with an innocent look in his direction. "And you know it's true so," she added with a laugh. "I'm snugglin' you..Cloud does like it when I'm the snugglin' you riiight?," Lilly asked in a sweet voice. She looked up at him with a smile and snuggled him some more and giggled a bit.

'Now to try and get this to work some more and maybe I can fix what happened..'

"Nnnoooooooooo why do you enjoy this?," complained Artemis. "It's as bad as Sora having her tantrums"

Cloud was very skeptical of what she was doing. Normally this wouldn't be out of the ordinary but she had gone from crying in pain to cuddling him just like that.

"Lilly. What are you reaaally doing?"

Prism laughed. "You know me, I like torturing people."

"Awwwwh, no it's not. I don't make whining noises when I torture. I'm sure she does during a tantrum and that's gotta be annoying," she pointed out. "Nothing..I'm hiding my pain again..thats all I'm doing..,"Lilly was telling him the partial truth, she was trying to distract herself from the pain by snuggling him. But she was also trying her oldest trick that had almost never been used. She had moved her leg wrong and ended up biting his shoulder a bit on accident when she felt the pain shoot through her.

"Yes I know you...and she doesn't..her tantrums are usually her in silence..but you never expect what she will do while in tantrums..which do end as a normal child tantrum sometimes. One time she actually cut my arm deep enough to send me to the hospital for a few days in her tantrum," sighed Artemis.

"Oh.. I don't have anything that can make it go awAAY!" Cloud yelped in surprise. "Whattheheck-?"

Prism was slightly surprised at this. "Oh.. ouch."

She tilted her head in thought. "How come she has a lot of random outbursts? She starts chanting randomly, and apparently has tantrums.. is there anything else?"

Lilly closed her eyes tightly when she felt the pain shoot through her a lot more now. She bit down harder on his shoulder as she tried to keep the pain away.

"The chanting may be because of a game she and her parents used to play when she was learning to count and her ABC's, the outbursts are because she still has anger about what had happened to her parents. She's still mad at you guys, but she's getting over it and now Cloud made it come back but only at him."

"Nyaaaaa," Cloud whined as his shoulder was bitten into. "Lilly stooppp." This had pretty much the same effect it would've if she had been biting his neck. Cloud just couldn't handle being bitten for some reason. "What are you doingg?"

"Huh. Weird."

Prism often got confused when it came to Sora. She was a very complicated person. Lilly loosened her grip at some point but didn't let go of him. She was able to talk slightly through her biting him,"...It hurts...and...you just happened to be there...didn't mean to bite...," she said to him in pain. She kept her grip on his shoulder and could taste his blood dripping already from where her canines had bit him.

"It is, some of the rest of who she is..I have no clue about, she's more confusing and I've never been able to solve her at all...it might have to do with the fact that she was an agent herself...sadly...I'm afraid she may go back to those days mentally," Artemis said sadly. Cloud whimpered in pain like she had just done a few minutes ago. "Your teeth are sharp..," he said, his voice higher in pitch than usual because of the pain in his shoulder. So far he'd been stabbed twice in that shoulder and now bitten. That poor spot.

"Eh.. not with Kirai around," Prism said hopefully. She yawned and twirled a strand of her hair. "He'll keep her the same, I do believe."


	18. After Battle 18

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle eighteen**

**Filling in the past**

Lilly didn't release her grip for another few moments as the pain subsided.

Once she did let go of his shoulder she looked at him and felt bad and still in some pain but didn't bother to hide it as she got up slowly and removed her jackets tied around her waist. She flinched in pain as she placed weight on her leg while she leaned on it while she tore up the jacket and used it to bandage his shoulder.

"Sorry...I can't help that.."

"Not if another traumatic thing happens to her..then shes gone for good," sighed Artemis, "The government did something to her when they created her or when they made her Shooter half because she's a bit different".

Cloud nodded in understanding, now biting his lip just like he'd told Lilly not to. "It's f-ine.."

Now they were both hurt. But at least they were both hurt together, right?

"Whoa, really?" Prism asked in surprise. They were in quite a situation if that was the case. God knows what Cloud would do next and the effect it would have on Sora. Lilly tied the makeshift bandage tightly to as to cut blood flow a little more and make the bleeding less. But when she tried to move she couldn't, she found herself frozen in pain when she tried to move her leg and place weight on it again.

"A-at least...y-you're not me.."

"Yeah..she was my clone and they only made her to be the best agent and their best killer. Which worked, but they always did something to her and made her into her, and now..anything could happen...I've never been able to read her at all not once," said Artemis. He had hoped the fight with Kiki that would happen eventually and hoped not a traumatic thing would happen. Cloud looked at her sadly when she said that. "I'm sorry Lilly," he said quietly, apologizing for more than just her stabbing herself, but for everything he'd done in the past couple of weeks. He hadn't noticed that he hadn't apologized yet and figured it was a good thing to do.

"That's really scary.." Prism thought aloud. She hadn't realized how much Artemis had to worry about when it came to Sora. Anything could happen to her at any given moment and she would just snap. That can't be fun to be constantly worrying about.

"Don't be...it's not like me getting hurt a lot or being attacked or just anything was your fault..it's not like your order from the government was to kill me after you got those two," Lilly said with a weak smile and tried to stand up.

"It is..she can be triggered with anything..and once when she was much younger after that moment she had actually taken a knife to school and in her anger and thinking they looked like you and Cloud she killed them..and threw the knife away and no one ever found it," Artemis told her. He had to let her know now what that day had done to her. Cloud looked at her, disregarding what she'd just said because she was attempting to stand. "What are you doing? You can't walk; it's going to hurt like fuck."

Prism blinked at Artemis. "Are you serious?"

She thought about what had happened the night of Sora's parents' murder. Cloud had been extra excited about killing those people, but Prism hadn't asked why. Now that she thought about it, she wondered what was so special about that killing.

"Yeah I know it's going to hurt like fuck..I just..can't sit anymore.,"She said through gritted teeth. She was finally able to stand up. But had to lean against a tree and gritted her teeth in pain. She couldn't move now.

"I'm dead serious, when I picked her up from school she told me that it was her and she showed me before anyone else got there. There was blood everywhere, and when I took a closer look at Sora I saw stains of blood on her hands and clothes but mixed with red paint to hide that she had done it...ever since I had transferred her to over ten schools and she never lasted long there...thats why she's here," Artemis explained.

Cloud looked up at her in worry. He stood up and stood next to her in case she needed to lean against him for support.

"Geez.." Prism felt slightly more scared of her than usual now. She glanced over at Sora. How harmless she looked when she wasn't awake. Especially cuddling Kirai like that.

"..do you think Cloud and Sora ever met each other before the murder? Cause when he told me we were gonna kill her parents he seemed really eager.. normally he'd just be like 'hey lets go kill someone' but he had this one all planned out," Prism asked curiously.

Lilly looked at him. "I'll be fine..," Lilly told him with a pain filled smiled.

Artemis looked over at Sora and saw her shift only slightly just to curl up closer to Kirai and snuggle him. He couldn't believe how much she looked like a little kid when he had first seen her the first time. Just dangerous not as deadly. Then turned back to Prism.

"..Its more than likely..and now I have to know, if that was the case then what made him want to kill her parents? She either was at the park once and thought he could be her friend and introduced him to her parents. Or it was the rabbit she carried around, she tended to lose him easily and probably asked him to help her find it when she lost it and once she told him how important it was to her, that may have made him want to, especially if he asked about who got her the rabbit and asked for the story..but it could be anything those are guesses." said Artemis.

Cloud looked down at her blankly. "No you won't."

Prism thought over his suggestions. "Well he did go to the park a lot when we were younger. He'd just kinda sit on a bench and watch everyone.. one time I went with him and he scared away the only person who came up to us. He'd probably do the same to Sora.. actually no, she wouldn't have put up with him."

Lilly smiled at him with pain filled eyes. "And just what are you going to do to make me be fine? Carry me again?,' she teased.

"Well..did he ever hint to anything about Sora at all..like the long twin tails or something that made him want to target her...maybe she was there with her parents everyday or something...he must've told you something," Artemis said to her as he gently and carefully laid Primrose down and not waking her up. Cloud looked at her seriously. "Yes, if you insist on moving from this spot," he told her.

Prism shrugged. "I can't remember anything from then really.. I was really drugged up when all that happened. When I asked him what was so special about her he just said she deserved it. She couldn't have pissed him off or anything could she?"

"Awwwwwwww...but..but..,"Lilly started to pout at him. She tried to stand up and walk away to pout but ended up leaning on him.

"Can you at least remember something other than that? There must've been something that he said that stood out to you," Artemis pressed. He had to know what was a bigger clue to her parents' murder that day and hopefully ask Cloud for the real story.

Cloud knew, if Artemis found out the story, he would have to tell Sora the story.

"Mm-hmm. But nothing dear," Cloud said firmly. He bent down to pick her up against her will, carefully avoiding touching her stab wound. "Where we goin'?"

"Raaah," Prism growled as she racked her brain for anything he had said. "Something about how she was too happy? Why don't you just ask him? He's being all self-hating right now so he'll feel like he owes it to you to tell you."

"We're going to that river so I can clean your shoulder," Lilly told him as she held onto him.

Artemis sighed and shook his head. "Alright fine..I'll go find him, you stay here and keep an eye on them all, and don't worry, I'm sure Sora won't try and kill you after what you learned about her," Artemis assured her.

Artemis walked off into the trees and went back to where he had seen Prism leave a path. He followed that path until he saw Cloud and Lilly already at the river.

"Hey Cloud!," Artemis called to him, "Can I talk to you about something?"

Cloud glared over at Artemis. "No," he said, being only partially sarcastic.

"What do you want," he asked blankly, carefully setting Lilly down on her feet.

Artemis walked over to him and ignored the anger still in his voice.

"I need to ask you about the days before you murdered Sora's parents. As you know she held a grudge against you and your sister, but Prism gave me something new about that day. She said it was planned, as in you had planned it for days and you had talked about her a bit around her but she couldn't remember," Artemis gave him a looked before he continued on what Prism had told him already about that day.

"She told me that you would go to the park every day and scare kids, and that you said she was too happy and how you hated it...So what I wanna know..is everything. Tell me that whole story. There was definitely a reason why you killed them. And I want to know, tell me the truth or I'll wake Sora up from her sleep and send her to you," Artemis threatened. This time he would solve the real story from that day that would also calm Sora's anger once Cloud had also told her the story.

Cloud stared at Artemis with cold eyes, before he sighed angrily and decided to give up. He was already hated enough; he didn't need this being held against him too. "Well first of all I wasn't scaring kids, I was watching them. I'm not Prism. I scared them away if they walked up to me, which is what Sora did. Now let me just say, I hated everyone at that damned park. But with Sora it was like this new kind of hate, like I didn't want to kill her, I'd rather her suffer. And I hadn't even talked to her yet, that was just from first glance. So she walked up to me and is all cheerful and shit, and she's like 'You look sad!' and I'm like 'I am, now fuck off.' But she wouldn't go away. She just took a seat next to me and started chattering away about her friends and her parents and everything and she was just too damn happy. "

"So then I went back to the hospital that night and Prism was like 'what's wrong with you' and I'm like 'this fucking chick started talking to me today' and then I went off on this rampage about how much I hated her and I'm pretty sure I broke something in the process, and then Prism was all 'so make her miserable.'"

Cloud sighed again. "And then I started planning her parent's death. There wasn't really a reason, I just hated her. If Prism could remember anything she'd tell you I liked her..she was always teasing me about that.. but I swear to god it wasn't even close to that."

Artemis listened closely to Cloud's explanation about the days before Sora's parents were killed, he couldn't believe Sora was so narrow minded at that time to even talk to him. How had Sora even been able to sit next to an angry Cloud as a child and was even able to talk to him about anything at all, he never will understand Sora. Artemis shook his head and looked back to Cloud and gave him a look before he asked Cloud his next few questions that Cloud would have no choice to answer.

"So what exactly did she talk to you about that made you so mad that you wanted to make her miserable? I'm sure Sora only wanted to fill that sadness you were feeling at the time. And if you were there every day was she always talking to you and trying to make you happy again? Knowing Sora as best of whatever I know about her, then she must've seen you a lot or you saw her a lot."

Then Artemis gave something another, something that Sora had done right after her parents' murder, well more like a few weeks later the part about her getting murderous at such a young age. But only one thing that stood out to him was how she had mentioned him when she was little, but she never stopped mentioning him for months on end until she got to her last year in middle school.

"Hmmmm...Well how long did you plan it? I'll ask you my question after that one. But why did you mainly target Sora? She was younger than you at the time and what could she have done so badly about mentioning all that? Every child at her age was happy like that Cloud. What in this damned world would've given you the drive to even kill hers? And what exactly did you plan to cause the murder, because knowing you already, you had everything planned for months, so what exactly had you planned?"


	19. After Battle 19

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle nineteen**

**The reason why Cloud killed Sora's Parents**

Cloud looked at the ground as he recalled his memories. "Well she was really excited about her birthday coming up, so she kept saying that she and her friends would have sooo much fun and her parents were gonna take her out and do shitloads of exciting things. I didn't have any friends and our parents had stopped caring about us a long time ago. So I was jealous. She kept bringing up the happiness of life and I had been so sad and upset for so long that happiness made me uncomfortable."

He sighed, getting irritated with this subject. "Yeah. She came back for like a week and always stayed all happy and stuff. But I never told her my name. I used some alias that I can't even remember anymore."

"I kept the plan going for about a month.. Prism and I would stay up late following her around and seeing what her and her family did. She actually saw us one time but just waved at me. She was so clueless. Sora had told me one day that her parents were taking her to a movie or some shit and I thought that was as good a time as ever, so me and Prism just staked out on her street and waited for them to walk home to ambush them."

Cloud gave Artemis a cold look. He didn't want to reveal why he'd targeted Sora. It was something he'd denied most of his life, even though he subconsciously knew it was true. "The difference between her and every child at that age was she actually cared about me."

"You know I had a group of some random ass kids who would like look over at me and whisper and shit? One time I was going to head over there and beat the shit out of them and Sora stopped me and said they weren't worth it. And then she said some sentimental shit that I can't remember," he revealed.

Except the last part was a lie. He remembered very thoroughly.

Artemis couldn't believe what he was hearing. Out of everyone Cloud had ever scared the crap out of and murdered, this one girl showed that she cared about him when no one else seemed to. Sora was willing to go through anything to make him happy; she cared when no one else wanted to care about him.

But something else seemed to be bothering Cloud, it was like something he was hiding now, and Artemis could tell he was hiding something by the way he was acting now as he told this story to Artemis. So Artemis finally asked him, "And let me guess, at some point in that week she tried to invite you, didn't she? She knew you were sad and deserved better than what you treated as and invited you to her birthday multiple times am I right?"

"And I'm going to guess no matter how many times she told you someone wasn't worth it, you got more pissed at her because she actually cared about you, something you hadn't experienced in such a long time that you ended up hating her even more just because she cared. Just those gestures of actually caring she just kept on pissing you the hell off because she told you the stories of what it was like to be happy. She wanted you to be happy yet you kept rejecting her acts of trying to get you to be happy, she tried to so hard, to make you happy that you couldn't take it could you?"

Artemis gave Cloud a look, he knew that he was answering many of Cloud's thoughts on his own already and could tell by the way Cloud would move awkwardly when he got it right.

"And as for that one thing your hiding, what are you hiding now? Your hiding something you've been denying for a long time, a reason to why you targeted Sora, and you knew it deep in your mind that whatever you're hiding is true. Now what is it that your hiding Cloud?," Artemis gave Cloud a hard look, not backing down from this subject yet, he would get the story whether Cloud wanted to give away anything or not.

Artemis had to give Sora a reason to finally give up her hatred at last and to understand why Cloud had picked her, he remembered when she had asked Cloud that months ago but he had never answered her question. It was the time she had gone ballistic on everyone and had gone into a rampage about trying to kill him in revenge for her parents.

"Yeah. She wouldn't shut up about it. I kept telling her that inviting me was a bad idea but she wouldn't listen".

Cloud flipped his hair out of his eyes in frustration. Artemis always getting everything right was really starting to piss him off. What did he like about this guy anyway? That was another matter. Stay focused, Cloud.

"Yes Artemis, it drove me up the fucking wall. I had adapted to people rejecting me and I turned into a loner and I wasn't the nicest person ever. And she wouldn't just go away. I didn't want her around because I knew that once I had to tell her that I had killed people, she would hate me and I couldn't take any more rejection, Artemis. I'd had enough. I didn't want anyone else in my life because they would just leave and that would hurt me even more than I already was."

Cloud glared at Artemis just as forcefully as he was looking at him. "I got really fucking attached to her, okay? She was my only friend and that was really important to me." He felt like a weakling admitting this.

"One day she didn't come to the park and I freaked out. Like literally I went into the forest and just sat in a tree and cried my fucking eyes out cause I thought Prism had told her or something and she wasn't coming back. And then when I found out why she wasn't there I got really really mad because I thought that I wasn't as important to her as she was to me, like she could just sacrifice time with me for something else, when that was the only reason I even left the damn hospital every day. That was the night before I killed them."

The moment Artemis had heard this piece he couldn't believe it, Cloud had actually been attached to this little girl, and only once when she hadn't arrived he freaked out. What had she done to not arrive, she had been to the park the whole time, maybe her parents got busy? Or she had just started school that day too?

"You actually got attached to her? If she meant that much to you as a friend, why did you do it? Cloud there had to be a reason why she couldn't make it to the park that day, what if she had gone to school or her parents got busy and she had to stay home with her babysitter?"

"So tell me why she didn't go to the park that day, please Cloud this would actually mean a lot to Sora, that little girl is still there Cloud..that night when she killed you the first time, I woke up and found her on the roof crying her eyes out. She knew who you were and felt awful but she had been really angry with you, she had given you everything she could to make you happy. And with that betrayal she didn't hold it only against you; she blamed herself for the day before."

Artemis gave Cloud a sad look and then pulled something from his pocket, it was a small bag. He opened the bag and emptied it; four things fell from it, a small key that went to the house, and a few stones that would be used for his next potion. A rose petal that he just found on his shoulder once and kept it for fun. And finally a little charm on a chain in the shape of a cloud. Artemis held it out to Cloud, "She was going to give this to you at the park as a gift, she had asked her parents to buy the chain and she made the charm out of modeling play-doh. She remembered when you told her about never getting anything from someone who cared. Sora had worked days on this, but that night when she had killed you she had been holding it and then threw it off the roof in anger. I held onto it this whole time of course," Artemis told him with a sad smile.

"Come on Cloud, what had she done to not come to the park? She must've tried her best all day to at least try and get there all day long but with no luck, she wanted to actually try and get you to go on the swings that day too. I remember her telling me about you a lot before she really felt her anger boil about you, she was so little and only wanted to talk about how she tried to make you happy Cloud."

Artemis looked at the chain and pendant for another moment before he handed Cloud the gift from Sora, "She said you always seemed like a sad cloud was over your head, so she made you a white fluffy cloud and hoped that would've made you happy a bit. She told me she would've done anything to make you smile once."

"I don't know! I just freaked out! When you've been through so much tragedy in your life at that young of an age you don't think about things when you get hurt, you just act. Or I did at least. I don't know, Artemis. I'm fucked up. I don't think before I do things.. I just don't."

Cloud felt like he could cry from remembering all this. He hated it. If there was one thing he could forget about, it would be what happened with Sora.

"I was mad at myself for becoming dependent on her and I was mad at her for not being there, and I was sad because she had parents to go home to and I didn't. All my emotions caught up with me and I just..snapped," Cloud told him, now refusing to look Artemis in the eyes. He really hated this conversation. Cloud took a shaky breath and wiped his eyes even though he wasn't crying, not yet. He had a feeling that tears would appear soon though. "She had been with her parents, but that wasn't the point. Prism said Sora saw her that day and recognized her since we looked alike, and they started talking.. later I found out that they were trying to buy me a present or something. But the only thing I cared about at the time was that she was with my sister, and everything that had happened, everyone I'd lost was because of Prism. Because she needed this or she needed that, she had to move to the hospital, she hated some kid so I couldn't talk to him. I hated Prism more than I hated Sora. She took everything from me. But really it was just jealousy. So when I found out they were together that day I figured she had done it again."

Cloud looked at the chain in his hand and felt tears burning his eyes but he refused to let them fall. "..She was making this."

"I killed her parents because she was trying to make me something," Cloud stated. He had regretted it all his life but it was really starting to sink in now. "That's great. I'm such a great friend!" he said sarcastically. Here came the self-hate, crashing down on him like a goddamn tsunami.

Artemis looked at Cloud sadly, upset to see how he was finally processing this now after so long.

"Cloud, listen, you have to tell her the story. She asked me for years why you had targeted her that day. She told me the story about your gift, yeah she saw your sister, but she was asking what you liked and didn't like."

"It's not too late to tell her the story now Cloud, she might be upset again, but she more likely may end up ignoring everyone again, she may end up blaming herself though Cloud...If you could've seen her on the street that day, scarred and injured crying nonstop for her parents...but that same night she had woke up crying and that's when she started to tell me about you. She told me everything and especially about your gift, she had it in a bag and she never let go of it once. Hoping that she would get to see you and give it to you."

"I was dragged to the park against my will for weeks to find you at the park. And slowly as the weeks went by, she changed, she ended up hating even more, herself and you...I told Prism this a while ago, but one day at school she had taken a knife to school and ended up killing two kids who she thought looked like you two."

Artemis was already having trouble holding back the pain he had felt for Sora at that time.

"She had showed me the bodies after I had picked her up at school, she had hidden the knife where no one would find it..she had been transferred over ten times until she came to Battle High..Cloud..she needs to know the story. Many times I've heard her cry again. Just last night she was crying and she asked me why again. Why she was targeted, why she hadn't been strong enough, and why had her friend killed her parents...I had no answer...she kept repeating she was sorry for not being at the park that day Cloud..," Artemis cut himself off there and he looked away as he remembered seeing her cry for so long. Sora had not slept at all last night and acted as if she had.

"I ran away after I killed them, I wouldn't have been at the park," he said in a quiet voice. If he were any louder his voice would crack since he had tears streaming freely from his eyes now. Cloud shook his head when he was told of the two kids that Sora had murdered. "I was going to kill myself that night but then I thought that since I made Sora suffer then I should too," he confessed. Cloud hated that he was telling him this. Hated it. So much.

"If I tell her she'll just hate me more.. I almost have it fixed don't I? She's almost forgiven me right?" he asked in a pleading voice. "If I tell her it'll just ruin it all."

Artemis looked at Cloud sadly and nodded to him.

"Yes, everything is almost fixed, she's almost forgiven you. But Cloud, she keeps asking why, she has to know Cloud...Cloud you have to understand that she's been wanting to know for such a long time now, you know she deserves to know."

Artemis walked up to Cloud and placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed when he saw Cloud crying. He felt like a dad again and started to wipe away Cloud's tears. "Listen to me...If you have learned anything about Sora, she's still haunted by that day and only wants to know why. She begged me to ask you, and said she doesn't care about her anger about it anymore, she just wants to know why," Artemis told him calmly. Cloud shook his head at Artemis. "She's gonna care once I tell her and then she's gonna hate me. She's gonna leave me just like I thought she would," he said softly, feeling like a child. "I'm right, I know I am."

He felt like he needed a hug but wasn't about to ask for one. He'd displayed enough weakness for one day. "I want to tell her but I'm scared," he said barely above a whisper.


	20. After Battle 20

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty**

**Cloud trying to mend a broken friendship**

"Don't be afraid Cloud, listen, if she risked everything to keep you alive now. Then she won't care about the murder, she wants to know, if you want I can hold her back in case she gets mad at you, but I know she won't hate you Cloud," Artemis kept having to wipe away his tears multiple times now.

"She wants to know Cloud, she really does, and she will do anything to find out why," Artemis told him calmly.

Sora opened her eyes a bit and looked around as she rubbed her eyes and wondered where the others were still. She gave a yawn, "Where is everyone?," she asked. The only thing Sora wasn't expecting was to have another meltdown, she felt herself starting to cry again. She tried to stop herself quickly but wasn't able to stop, "I'm sorry...it was my fault I wasn't at the park that day..."

Cloud just looked at the ground for a few seconds, processing what Artemis had said and at the same time trying to stop himself from crying. He nodded slowly. "Ok-kay.. I'll tell her," he said reluctantly, blinking his eyes rapidly to try and get them to stop leaking tears.

Prism yawned and looked over at Sora. Was she crying about her and Cloud. "Hey..What's wrong?" she asked carefully.

"Alright come on, I'll take of your injuries and Lilly's leg once we get back, I don't want you two to be stuck with those injuries forever," said Artemis as he helped Lilly towards Cloud.

Sora looked at Prism with tear filled eyes and tried to stop crying.

"I-if I had shown up that day they wouldn't be gone...I shouldn't have done that...I should've told him the day before I left!...It's my fault for all of it!,'Sora shouted as she cried.

Cloud nodded silently and looked over at Lilly. He'd forgotten she was there. She had heard all of that hadn't she? How annoying. It was bad enough that Artemis knew, and now Lilly..

Prism shook her head at Sora. "No.. Sora that's not your fault," she said, crawling over to Sora and looking at her sadly. "He's the one who overreacted; do not blame this on yourself."

Lilly looked at him with concern, "Its not a bad thing that you got attached to her Cloud, and you know it's time that you've told her," Lilly told him calmly.

"N-no it was my fault...he was my friend and...and...it was all my fault!,"Sora cried as she looked away from Prism. Sora hadn't had this meltdown since the night she had killed Cloud the first time. "It was all my fault!"

"Yes it is!" Cloud argued. "I'm not supposed to get attached to people! They always leave." He said the last part quietly. That wasn't true. He was attached to Lilly and she was still here. But his thoughts from when he was little were coming back to him quite aggressively.

Prism watched Sora with sad eyes. "No it wasn't," she disagreed. "You didn't cause any of this Sora. You didn't know he would be so hurt by you not showing up."

"No it's not Cloud, people aren't always like that, you felt that way because it was your parents fault. But look around you, these people, none of us have left," Lilly told him. She smiled at him and hugged him.

"Yes it was...I tried to tell him but I didn't want to give away the surprise!...I should've gone to the park before the store...it was always my fault..," Sora told her. She started to bury her face in her hands as she cried and remembered the day she had gone to get him a present.

"He blames me...I almost had him as my very best friend and lost him as my best friend..."

"Yeah not yet," Cloud grumbled. "They're only still here because they needed me for my information about the government, end of story," he said sadly. He felt worse when he looked at Lilly smiling. Why was she so happy? She had a major asshole as a boyfriend.

Prism didn't know how to help Sora; she just hoped that Cloud was on his way here. "He blames himself, Sora, believe me. He hates himself more than anyone else ever could. He doesn't hold anything against you."

"Cloud, if that was the only reason why we kept around you don't you think each and every one of us would have left by now?," Lilly asked him with a skeptical look. She didn't let go of him, she kept holding onto him instead.

"She's right Cloud," Artemis agreed.

"I kept denying it...I kept this hidden...Cloud and I first met when I was little...and he ended up hating me...I hoped I could make him happy...it was all my fault I should've been the one to die!," Sora shouted. Sora she shook her head in anger and hit the ground, "It was all my fault.."

Cloud looked at the ground. "I guess," he said so softly it was barely audible. He still didn't believe anything that was being said though. Everyone still hated him from what he'd done earlier. They all wanted him gone.

Especially Sora.

"No. You shouldn't have," Prism argued seriously. "If he had killed you he'd have killed himself and then neither of you would be here." It was pointless to argue with Sora but she was going to try anyway.

Lilly just sighed and then looked back to Artemis, "How about we get going now?," she suggested. Artemis nodded and helped Lilly onto his back, "I'm not sure you can carry her at the moment, so I'll take her back for you, come on Cloud," said Artemis calmly.

"But it wasn't fair that I hadn't told him...he won't forgive me for that day...I shouldn't have done that...I should've told him where I was going..it's my fault," Sora whimpered.

"Why would he have killed himself?...He never deserved me as a friend..it was all my fault...it will always be my fault..."

Cloud nodded without saying anything. He needed to stop thinking about this. It was depressing him further thinking about how much he had hurt Sora. That would be hard to accomplish though, especially when he was about to face her with the news.

"Because he loved you, you idiot!" Prism all but screamed at her. "You were his only friend! You were the only person who gave a shit about him!"

Artemis sighed and made sure to stay close to Cloud while he carried Lilly back to the area and then made sure Cloud didn't randomly run into a tree.

Sora fell back when Prism yelled at her. The way she said that made her confused now, she was still crying, but leaned up to look at Prism.

"Well I know that I cared about him..I just wanted him to be happy too..he didn't deserve to be sad like that...,"Sora told her quietly. But looked up for a second before asking her second question," And what do you mean love?," that deeply confused Sora.

Cloud stumbled on his own feet a few times simply because he wasn't paying attention to anything. All of his thoughts were swirling around in his head and making everything ten times worse.

Prism glared at Sora. "I mean he loved you. You were the most important thing in the world to him. You did make him happy, he just didn't show it because he thought if you saw that he was okay, that you'd leave because your goal was reached. He was just trying to hold onto you."

Artemis at some point had to grab Cloud by the sleeve the best he could and lead him forward. He had to keep Cloud in one piece in order to get back.

Sora looked at her with wide eyes. "Why would I leave? He was my best friend, no one else mattered to me except my parents...but he was my most important friend...he already had me as a friend...and no matter what I still lost him because I was stupid and never told him..," Sora whimpered.

Cloud looked up and tried to stay focused. He told himself to calm down. He wouldn't be able to tell Sora anything if he were like this. "..sorry," he whispered to Artemis. He felt bad for having to be navigated.

Prism shook her head. "He has this weirdly extreme fear of everyone leaving him. He always thinks everyone's going to abandon him so he pushed people away."

"It's alright..don't worry about it," Artemis told him calmly. They returned back to the area only to see Prism with Sora and Sora crying.

"...,"Sora didn't say anything else. She kept crying and sat up to cry again, she felt bad for that one little day and couldn't believe that day when Cloud had been the one to kill her parents. She was starting to feel her old anger boil again mixed with her blame towards herself.

Cloud stopped in his tracks when he saw Sora. He hadn't realized how scared he was. He really really didn't want to do this.

Prism looked up at her brother and had to restrain herself from glaring at him. She didn't say anything.

Cloud looked at Artemis for help on how to start this. Artemis nodded to him; he set Lilly down next to Minoru before he pushed Cloud towards Sora. Artemis nodded at Prism to tell her to get Sora to look and see that Cloud was here. Prism nodded back at Artemis and tapped Sora on the hand. "You have a visitor," she whispered, gesturing towards Cloud.

Sora looked up at Prism first before she looked behind Prism. Sora quickly started to try and back away from him. She was still upset about that day about the park, Artemis looked at Prism. "Let me guess, the day at the park?"

Prism nodded. "She kept saying it was her fault."

Cloud shook his head but didn't look at Sora. "It's my fault," he whispered. Artemis sighed. "Well then..now it's time for them to both know the story..and Cloud you have to tell her what she's been begging to know too," Artemis told him. Sora looked at them both with lost eyes and then looked at Cloud for a second but then looked away to try and wipe away her tears.

Cloud looked at his feet and shifted uncomfortably. Everyone was waiting on him. Time to cut to the chase.

"I-I did it because I hated how much I depended on you.. and how happy you were..and I was so jealous of your parents and your other friends, it pissed me off so much. And then you weren't there that one day and I thought you didn't care about me anymore..and I was really hurt so I just snapped..," he told her, skipping the awkward intro to this conversation that would've ensued.

Sora looked at Cloud when he started to explain. But she didn't say anything when he told her that, she just sat up and looked away.

"See? Her meltdowns vary, and this one goes back to that night on the roof, she was there all night and never said anything for hours," Artemis said.

He looked at Sora, "Hey..say something..," he told her, Sora looked back up at them.

"...my fault.."

Cloud shook his head at her. "In no way is this your fault Sora, I'm the one who takes things too seriously and acts on a whim. It's my fault entirely," he told her. Sora shook her head back at him. "Nuh-uh..it was my fault...I shouldn't have gone to the store...," she told him. She started to try and get to her feet slowly and stumbled a bit when she got to her feet.

"You were going there for a good reason! It's not like you knew something would happen if you did. It was a harmless thing that I blew up," Cloud disagreed.

Sora flinched away for a moment when Cloud raised his voice. Artemis placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder, "Careful Cloud, she obviously not herself at the moment. Try not to get mad at her or at least not raise your voice too much..look at her, she's getting scared of you this time," Artemis whispered to him.

Sora held her place and put her hands to her chest in fear of him when he raised his voice and backed away a bit. Cloud sighed angrily at himself. Did he really have to mess everything up like this? "Sorry," he mumbled to Sora.

He didn't know what else to say. He'd been so focused on how to tell her that he didn't think of anything else. "I'm sorry," he apologized again, this time for everything he'd done. "Calm down Cloud, just stay calm you've not anything wrong, she's just more jumpy right now," Artemis whispered to him.

Sora looked at him for a moment. She nodded at him, she was still out of it from crying to even try to recover herself and slowly took a step to Cloud. Cloud almost laughed at that statement. He hadn't done anything wrong..psh. He'd done everything that you could possibly do wrong and probably more. He looked up to Sora and refrained from stepping back himself. He felt like he shouldn't be near her.

"As in nothing you have done at this precise moment, you've done nothing wrong smart one," Artemis scolded.

Sora looked away as she stepped towards Cloud. When she right in front of him she looked up at him and thought about for it a moment before she hugged him. The last time she had hugged him was the fourth day she had met him and he tried to push her off but she never let go.


	21. After Battle 21

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-one**

**Long tensions resolved**

Cloud glared at Artemis and was about to respond with a sarcastic comment when he was hugged by Sora. He stiffened in surprise and stared straight ahead for a second before he slowly wrapped his arms around her and held onto her tightly.

Kirai's eyes fluttered open and he looked around. Hm. Cloud and Sora hugging. This was definitely a dream. He closed his eyes again and tried to head back to sleep. Sora hugged Cloud warmly trying to go back to that day when he had tried to push her off with no success. Artemis smiled and then looked at Prism and walked from behind Cloud and over to Prism. "Told him she wouldn't hate him..she wanted that kid back that she first met," she told her.

Sora gave a yawn when she hugged Cloud and buried her face in his shirt.

"...Crap now she's tired from crying isn't she?"

Cloud remembered that day too and smiled at the memory. The only reason he'd been trying to push her off was because there were people looking at them. A few adults had even taken pictures.

Prism shook her head with a smile. "She just might get him."

"..Hah. I dunno but if she falls asleep on him and Kirai wakes up he's not gonna like it."

Sora smiled a bit when she started to remember how the adults took a few pictures and they thought it was cute. But she had been stubborn and refused to let go of him the whole time no matter how embarrassed he was that day.

Artemis smirked, "Your right..after all she was the only kid brave enough to stick around him."

"...If she does..what the hell am I going to tell Kirai? It's bad enough he doesn't understand much, but if I tell him the story he will be more confused than ever...oh well I'll just tell him the truth," said Artemis.

Sora gave another yawn as she started to fall asleep again. Prism shrugged. "He'll be okay. He's always confused in general so it shouldn't make much of a difference," she laughed.

Cloud quickly noticed she was falling asleep and held her back at arm's length. He shook her a little. "Heyy. Don't fall asleep on mee."

Sora started to complain when he shook her, "But I'm tiiiiired," she whined as she rubbed her eyes and pouted.

Artemis sweat dropped, "Umm...I think we need to set her down away from Cloud. If she falls asleep on him I can't take care of his shoulder..but she seems to want to use him as a pillow for now," sighed Artemis.

"Then go sleep on Kirai." Cloud laughed softly at her expression. "Come on it's only a few steps," he encouraged her.

Prism laughed. "That was an easier make-up than I thought it would be."

"He's too faaaaarrrr," she whined with a pout.

Artemis nodded, "Yeah, but don't forget she was crying and tired, I just hope it actually stays that way," said Artemis with a smile. Cloud carefully pushed her in the direction of Kirai. "See just like one little step. Or just, like, fall. And you'll land on him."

Prism watched them. "Hm. I think it will. As long as Cloud stops being an idiot at least when he's around Sora." She'd almost forgotten how mad she was at him.

Speaking of that, was Alex still asleep? She turned around to see him. Yep. Sora pouted and looked at him. She was too lazy and tired to even act normal at the moment.

"It should, considering she's the only one able to ever get along with him this whole time...hey Cloud she was up all night last night, she's not going to be as cooperative," Artemis called to him. He was enjoying this scene and smiled.

"Go wake him if you want or at least try and see if you can't keep him awake for a few moments," Artemis told her with a nudge. Lilly got bored and then looked at Minoru and started to poke him. Cloud sighed, more in amusement than frustration. "Fine then." He picked up Sora before she could start protesting and walked over to Kirai, carefully setting her down in his lap. "Theeere. Problem solved."

Prism practically skipped over to Alex and sat down next to him. She poked his cheek. "Heyyy. Wake upp."

Minoru jumped and his eyes shot open. He was a heavy sleeper except when he was touched. "Whathappened?!"

Sora looked at Cloud for a second before she laid back down and fell asleep in the next few moments after Cloud had set her down. Artemis smiled and walked over to Cloud, "I told you she wouldn't hate you," Artemis told him with a smile.

Alex shook his head a bit as he was poked and looked around, "What?," he asked rubbing his eyes.

Lilly looked at him, "Who the hell are you?"

Cloud shrugged. "She doesn't yet." He was still insistent on the fact that she would eventually. It was just inevitable. He'd definitely do something to fuck everything up, that's just how he was.

Prism smiled when he woke up. "Hi."

Minoru looked at Lilly with a slightly frightened expression. Who the hell was this? "I-I'm Kirai's brother...who are you?"

"She won't hate you..she just hugged you," Artemis told him with a laugh," Which reminds me..I found this in a store a few years back," Artemis took out a small photo. It was a picture of Cloud getting hugged by Sora and there was a quote underneath:

_'No matter the age, true friendship is always there'_

Artemis couldn't help but laugh a bit.

Alex smiled a bit at her, "Why hello~"

Lilly looked at Minoru, "Since when did he get a brother?"

Cloud looked at the picture in wonder. "Whoa.. we were in a store?" The quote underneath almost made him smile, but he stopped it. No need to advertise how much that meant to him.

Prism tilted her head at him. "Miss me?"

Minoru blinked. "Since 12 years ago.. he also has two sisters.."

"I guess it became a pretty popular picture when you guys were little," said Artemis with a smile.

Alex smiled up at her and sat up to hug her.

"Well why the hell are you here?"

"That's reaally weird," Cloud said, still looking at the photograph. A bunch of people probably had a picture of him lying around his house. And none of them knew that he was Tsunami, the infamous murderer. They all had clues to a highly wanted suspect and none of them knew.

Cloud found that amusing.

Prism smiled and hugged him back happily. "So I'll take that as a yes then?"

"Sora brought me here," Minoru answered simply. Who was this chick and what was with all the questions. "Haha well it was really popular after the quote was put under there, it was funny to show Sora since she tried to tear it out of my hand once and she never got it," laughed Artemis.

Alex nodded, "Yes very much"

Lilly looked at him then back to the already sleeping Sora again and then back to him. She took out her dagger and then poked Minoru with it, "I will poke you with this and find out if I should trust you at all..."

"I wonder how many of them were sold," Cloud asked curiously.

Prism giggled. "Good."

Minoru stared at her with wide and confused eyes. "W-wait what?! But that's sharp.."

"Probably a lot from what I was told," laughed Artemis.

Alex smiled and then sat up and hugged her more and then he started to tickle her again.

"So?..What? Are you that weak or something?"

"Wow," Cloud said in surprise. He looked at Artemis. "How come you carry so many things with you constantly?" He'd been wondering this for a while.

Prism laughed and tried to push him away. "Nooooo!"

"Yeah, kinda.. I-I mean I'm twelve..soo," Minoru told her, very confused at this point. "Haha I had to start carrying so much since Sora would always get hurt and we never went to the doctors very often," explained Artemis.

Alex laughed as she kept tickling her,"Yyyeeessss you will be tickled," he laughed.

Lilly gave him a bored look,"...Your boring..Clloouuuudd! This kid is boring me!"

Cloud was going to answer when he was practically shouted at. He looked at Lilly and then at Minoru, and back to Lilly. "Well then do something less boring!"

Prism shook her head and kept trying to push him off, failing at containing her laughter. "Noooooooooooo!"

"But he's boring! And I can't do anything less boring if I can't move!," she complained to him as she tossed her knife at Cloud in boredom. "Happy?! That wasn't boring!"

Alex smiled as she tried to push him off and failed.

"Yeesss"

Cloud caught the knife and laughed at her. "Calm down, geez," he told her, walking over to Lilly and looking down at her. "Happy? Will I be able to fulfill your desire for entertainment, madam?"

"But whyyyyyyy," Prism asked through giggles.

"Yes you will and yes I am happy now," Lilly laughed as she forced herself to her feet and held onto him.

"Because I said so," he said to her teasingly. "Don't be usin' that leg," Cloud scolded her with a serious look despite his playful tone. "I could've pulled you up silly."

"B-but that's not niiice!"

"But I don't wanna wait to do this," Lilly wanted to try and embarrass Cloud this time and before he could say anything she kissed him in front of everyone.

"This is a tickle war everything doesn't get to be fair," he said laughing. Cloud looked at her, surprised and blushing slightly. "W-what was that for?" he asked, looking around to see if anyone had been paying attention.

"Well it should be!" Prism argued. She tried to pin him down but ended up laughing and her plan was foiled. "Just because!," she said to him with a smile and she held onto him as she giggled at his blush.

Alex smiled at her; he stopped tickling her for a moment before he looked up and saw Cloud blushing. "He's blushing~"

Cloud glared over at Alex. "Shut up," he growled.

Prism laughed at him and reached up to turn Alex so he was looking at her and kissed him softly on the lips, hoping to make him blush to help Cloud out. Alex felt a bright blush appear across his face and he tried to look away and hide it.

Artemis laughed and then looked over at Sora when she rolled over and away from Kirai in her sleep and sighed,"Spazz..," he said with a laugh. Cloud smirked at him. "Now who's blushing?"

Prism laughed and looked at her brother. They gave each other a small nod, which was as close to an apology as either of them would get. But it was fine. They were okay now. That's just how they resolved things. Alex shot a glare at Cloud, "Shut up!," and looked away again.

They were obviously making enough noise with all the yelling to wake everyone up again. Sora was the first one awake and looked around, she saw the cause of the yelling and source of her being woken up. She gave them a look and then threw a rock at each of their heads.

"Some people made too much noise," laughed Artemis as he saw everyone who was sleeping wake up.


	22. After Battle 22

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-two**

**Angers flare and Ideas made**

Kirai opened his eyes slowly, wishing he hadn't woken up. "Why...am I awake.."

Primrose lifted her eyelids sleepily and looked around, and upon seeing that there was nothing tragic or important going on, rolled over and went back to sleep. "Those idiots woke us up," Sora said with a sleepy stare. She started to get to her feet and walked over to Cloud first as she picked up the first aid kit, "If no one will fix him I might as well..."

Artemis laughed when Primrose just turned back over and fell asleep. Kirai glared at everyone sleepily. "Why you bein' so loud?" he complained.

Prism contemplated throwing something at him. "Because it is daylight. Maybe if you weren't asleep we would seem less loud~"

Cloud had almost forgotten about his shoulder. Now that he remembered it he noticed the pain it was still bringing him.

"Because they're bein' asshats that's why. And as for you, sit down and let me actually be able to reach your shoulder..in case you forgot I'm still not as tall," Sora told him as she started to reach and slightly untie the makeshift bandage on his shoulder.

Sora gave her a look and then threw a roll of bandages at her head, "Hey. Go back to gettin' tickled or whatever..I have to take care of your idiot of a brother since he forgot to say he needed his shoulder looked at," Sora scolded.

"Nya," Cloud said in response to being called an idiot of a brother, sitting down carefully so that Sora wouldn't accidentally poke his shoulder. "I wasn't the one yellin'."

Prism stuck her tongue out at Sora and caught the bandages smoothly before they hit her. "I will not be tickled."

Sora hit him behind the head and yanked the fabric from his shoulder and glared at him, "Shut up..you were yelling too you idiot," Sora said at him with a glare.

Without warning Sora started to spray the medicine on his wound and then glanced at Prism, "Then go do whatever it is you Prism's do"

"No that wa-" Cloud stopped his sentence when the medicine hit his wound, having to bite down hard on his lip to not make any noises of pain. He glared back at Sora.

Prism laughed when he was hit with the stinging medicine. "But there's no one to scare around here."

Sora finished spraying the medicine on his wound and then smirked at him, "That's what you get for waking us up you asshat,"Sora told him as she started to wrap his wound up in bandages. She smirked back at him instead of glaring back.

Sora then glanced at Prism, "Then go back to the school and scare people," Sora sighed.

Cloud sighed, irritated. "It wasn't just me," he grumbled.

Prism thought about that and then shrugged. "Eh. Why not."

"Noooo," Cloud rejected. "None of that. Stay here."

"Whyyy?"

"Because you're gonna run into Kiki and screw something up."

"Yet you were still a cause of the problem genius," Sora told him.

She pulled tightly on his bandages at the mention of Kiki's name and tried not to cut off circulation in his shoulder.

Sora did end up tying the bandages too tight on him at some point though.

"Jesus Sora," Cloud complained, glaring at her over his shoulder. "Why so tight?" he asked, trying to move his shoulder uncomfortably so the bandages would loosen.

"No reason," Sora replied to him through controlled anger, she got up and turned away.

"I need to go...practice..," Sora said and threw the bow to the side as she went for her sword again. Cloud watched her walk off and gave Prism a confused look. His sister shrugged in response.

"What's wrong?" he called after Sora. He hadn't done anything already, had he? Artemis sighed, "Cloud, go keep an eye on her, when someone mentioned Kiki she started to lose her temper..I don't want to send Kirai since he might get hurt by accident this time," Artemis told Cloud.

Sora took the sword and started to cut into rocks that she passed by and felt her anger rise up. Cloud nodded and started to follow her, before grabbing his sword, just in case. He walked faster than usual in order to catch up.

"I wouldn't get hurt," Kirai mumbled.

Prism shook her head at him. "Yes you would."

"Kirai, trust me this time you don't want to be near her and since her Shooter isn't in control still," Artemis warned him.

"And besides I need you here still to help me take care of the others and you need to get to know your brother some more."

Kirai sighed. He never got to do anything interesting. He wasn't that weak, dammit! He'd survived the fight at the government hadn't he?

Oh yeah. Minoru was still here. He'd been so quiet that Kirai had almost forgotten about him.

Kirai looked over at his little brother and found that he'd gone back to sleep. Everyone was so damn tired. "Well I think I'll save that for another time."

"Oh calm down, and Sora wants you to rest still after that fight with the government. She wants to make sure you're healed enough," Artemis told him. He walked over to Kirai and smiled at him, "Don't worry, you can help her fight Kiki even if she says no okay?"

Sora stopped when she sliced through a bigger rock and growled, "That little bitch will die at this blade like everyone else!"

"Why? I didn't do anything. Except take an arrow and attack someone like once. Which was promptly failed because Sora is way better than me," Kirai pointed out. He looked up at Artemis. "I doubt that'll happen."

Cloud stopped walking. "Heheh.. doin' alright there?"

"Well you did fight, but you got injured a lot still when we were heading to them remember? And I don't think she wants to hurt you again since she was the one who went after you," said Artemis.

Sora turned and glared at him, "NO!..That little bitch has to die! She thinks because I'm gone for a few months that she's top notch and shes not..I'll make sure she thinks about that again when she's in the hospital!"

Kirai shrugged. "I went after her too after she attacked Prism.." He realized something and tilted his head at Artemis. "Wait, do you remember any of that? You were really disoriented during the whole thing weren't you?" he asked.

Cloud blinked and looked at her with a slightly concerned expression. "I'm sure.. just keep calm okay? If you go into the fight like this you'll end up letting your anger take control over you.."

Artemis shook his head a bit,"I only remember tiny bits. When I went Blue Rock I tried to get control a few times and anytime I could I saw a tiny part of the fight...but thats mainly the only part I can remember," Artemis explained to Kirai.

Sora glared at him, "Keep calm?! How am I going to keep calm when not only does she think she's better! But she thinks she can take me down so fucking easily!"

"Oh wow.. so you don't remember that even happening." Kirai was only slightly surprised. It was kinda weird though that he'd been attacking them and hadn't even remembered.

Cloud shrugged. "Obviously she isn't better, so what does it matter if she thinks she is? That's her own fault."

"Nope..everything is black entirely and even if I could remember I don't think I would want to even know what happened," said Artemis as he looked at Kirai.

"It means she thinks I'm weak! I will show her better then to go around thinking she is better than me at all...everyone at that school knows me as a killer and I'll make her remember that!," Sora was in no mood to calm down now.

"Heh.. yeah you really don't wanna know what happened actually..," Kirai said, shaking his head. He wondered if he remembered Cloud having to kiss him to bring back his memory. He'd hit him quite a few times so probably.

Cloud sighed. There was no use in this. "I very seriously doubt she truly thinks that she's better than you. I don't think anyone can actually think they're better than you."

"Well..either way all I know is that they are gone for good now and we can go back to life and try to live like a normal person the best we can," sighed Artemis. He was already trying to force himself to remember what the hell had happened in that fight.

"No one ever did because they were afraid of me! I made sure they never thought that! Especially when I had killed over thirty eight people in that school and my numbers kept rising!," Sora protested as she cut through another rock. Kirai laughed a little. "I doubt that eight teenagers with extreme fighting skills, a few of which have never been into the real world, can try to live a normal life.."

Cloud watched her and remembered his own killing total when she'd mentioned hers. He contained his laughter. So he had beaten her!

He scolded himself for taking pride in that.

He faked a cough. "Exactly. She knows that and she knows you're better."

"Well we can try can't we?," laughed Artemis, "I mean just take out the deadly half of ourselves."

"And that thirty eight isn't counting the people I killed before Battle High and all those agents and people I killed when I was an agent myself," Sora said to him with a growl. Kirai shrugged. "Maybe we'd have a chance then."

Cloud nodded with a small smirk. He still had a feeling he was beating her, but he didn't say anything about it. And no chance he would tell her the number. Not yet at least.

"Maybe we do..if Cloud and Sora don't get mad often..or at least Sora," sighed Artemis.

"I don't care if in total I've killed over two hundred people and up it doesn't matter..because she will be that kill I want!," Sora shouted.

"Don't count on that," Kirai told him doubtfully. "They're not good at staying civil with each other."

Cloud cheered for himself in his head. So far so good. "And you can kill her.. just don't get so excited about it that you fuck up."

"Well..they aren't good at being calm in general especially since Sora will keep having those breakdowns about everything still," Artemis told him.

"I've never fucked up a single kill..my first kill was when I was only eight or nine," Sora hissed, "I will not fuck this up either!"

Kirai nodded. He wondered why she still had those. Probably because of something about her past or her being a clone. It seemed like everything went back to those two things with her.

Cloud pondered bringing up the fact that Sora hadn't killed Prism. But then he remembered that she had stopped herself. But to him that made it even more of a fuck up. Oh well. "We all know you won't."

Artemis laughed as he saw the look in Kirai's eyes. "We won't know why she still has those until I can figure out all her final triggers if I can," said Artemis with a calm voice.

Sora glared at him with icy eyes and then turned away from him as she stared into the trees calmly. She was silent for the moment as she thought about her next sentence. "The moment she's on the ground begging for her life...I'll make sure she can't breathe ever again...I will make sure of that indefinitely!," Sora shouted as she cut through a tree. Kirai sighed, but it turned into a yawn. "There are so many things that could trigger that stuff," he pointed out.

"How do you think Kirai's going to take that?" Cloud asked bravely. He was really taking a risky step here. He predicted that he'd be thrown against a tree in a few seconds, but oh well. This matter seemed to be unrecognized to Sora, and it was better that it was brought to her attention, preferably sooner than later.

"She's his brother's girlfriend. And from the looks of it he and Kiki are pretty close themselves. How do you think it's going to affect Kirai, someone who doesn't deal with tragedy well, to see his girlfriend murder one of his best friends for no good reason?"

"That's like Kirai killing Artemis because he's better at fighting. Sure she pisses you off, but don't you realize that killing her is only going to make things fucktons worse for your relationship with him? It's already kinda banged up as it is," Cloud told her, not a trace of how scared he was showing in his expression.


	23. After Battle 23

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-three**

**Planning a normal life**

Sora processed what he said for a moment before she glanced at a the rabbit that ran past her, she didn't bother to try and kill it for them tonight since Lilly already brought deer back. She thought about what Cloud had said and smirked before she gave small laugh to herself and let her flame blaze again brightly in the sunlight. Just as Cloud had guessed to himself before he could even react to her next move she slammed him into a tree roughly with her flame blazing.

"I know he won't take it well..but theres something I don't trust about her at all..how can you think she can be trusted?..You are still blind to many things Cloud about who can be trusted and who can't..," Sora growled at him with a smile across her face. She held tightly onto his collar of his shirt and then nodded at him. "Okay...So I won't kill her..I'll just injure her enough to keep her alive but hurt badly instead, happy?," Sora asked him with a slight calmer voice.

"I never said she was trustworthy. I'm just saying that you need to think about the outcome."

Cloud looked at her calmly, unfazed to her holding him there and finding it slightly amusing how he was taller than her, and he was the one being threatened. She was also a girl. That only added to his inner entertainment. "Not really, but that's better."

Sora just rolled her eyes at him and let him go. She walked over to the tree she had cut down and sat down on it and stared into the distance for a moment before she gave a sigh.

'I don't..I can't trust her, there's something about her that yells don't trust her,' Sora thought to herself. She was going to go slice more rocks down before she heard Artemis's whistle that always meant come back.

"What the hell does he want now?!"

Cloud remained in front of the tree. "Are you sure you're not just jealous?" he asked quietly. He looked in the direction of the whistle.

"Probably wants to talk to you."

Sora ignored his question and glared at him. "I don't want to talk to him! I want him to leave me alone that asshat!,"Sora shouted as she threw her sword to the ground and stomped away.

"Hmmm." Cloud found it intriguing that she didn't answer. Kiki had just run up and hugged Kirai when she saw him. Maybe Sora was just being protective.

"You know he'll just come out here and find you," Cloud called to Sora, walking over and picking up her sword.

"Shut up Cloud!," Sora yelled back to him as she crossed her arms and stomped all the way back to the area. She didn't want to talk with him since she knew all she would get was either a lecture or tested again to make sure she was okay again. Cloud laughed to himself at her response. He twirled Sora's sword in his hand and started walking back to the group.

He placed Sora's sword next to Kirai once he had arrived. "So what's up?"

"Now what do you want?!," Sora half whined and half shouted at him with a stamp of her foot at him. Artemis looked at her and shook his head at her, "Hey calm down first off. And second were going to go enroll some people to the schools they chose now come on and later when we get home were having a talk about your triggers," Artemis told her.

"You're just going to do those stupid tests and things on me again you asshat!,"Sora shouted at him.

"Yes I am, but only t-."

"Shut up! I don't need your stupid tests! And I don't need you to fix them! You can't make me!"

"Sora you need them."

"NO! I won't you can't make me!"

"Yes he can," said Prism, Cloud and Kirai all at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise and then laughed.

"But really, he can."

"You always end up doing them anyway," Prism pointed out.

Cloud shrugged. "No point fighting it."

"No he can't! And I don't do the tests and crap willingly he makes me do it or I'm knocked out because he knocks me out for the tests! This time I won't let him do either," Sora growled at all of them

Sora turned around and the tips of her twin tails flicked Artemis in the face and he rubbed his face as she walked back towards the school.

He sighed and shook his head, "Well..now it's going to be hard to get her to do them either way unless one of you has an idea," said Artemis.

"Hmmm." Cloud looked at Kirai.

"..oh god what now," Kirai asked with a sigh. He was getting tired of the antics Cloud was always forcing on him.

Cloud shrugged. "Nothing. But it seems my plans always involve you so I wanted inspiration."

Artemis face palmed, "Will you at least tell me what your plan is Cloud?..Or someone at least tell me they have some kind of idea?! Sora knows all my tricks now and I can't think of one if I'm enrolling four or two of you into public school while filling out paperwork," sighed Artemis.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't have one actually. The only thing I've got is that Sora probably won't expect Kirai to go knocking her out so he'd have to be the one to do it if we're trying to get her unconscious."

"Or Alex," Prism pointed out. Artemis looked at them both then smiled.

"She definitely wouldn't expect it from either of them..but she wouldn't expect it from Kirai the most," said Artemis. He turned to Kirai and poked him, "You. My friend, are going to help me knock her out long enough now to make it possible to test her and make sure she's okay," said Artemis.

Kirai blinked at Artemis. This sounded like a very evil plan, and he didn't exactly know how good he felt about knocking out his girlfriend. "Uhh.. and how am I going to do that?" he asked, almost fearing the answer.

"Well thats where Alex comes in..you're the distraction, and Alex will knock her out easily," Artemis explained to him with a smile and nodded to Cloud. "You always give good ideas, now come on everyone we need to get Alex and Lilly enrolled into those schools..Cloud, Prism have you decided yet?," asked Artemis as he stood up.

Cloud answered with, "Wherever Lilly's going," at the same time that Prism said "Wherever Alex's going." Kirai looked at them both, anticipating the argument that was probably about to take place.

The twins looked at each other with surprised expressions.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Where are you going?"

Prism blinked. "Where Alex is going.."

"But he and Lilly aren't going to the same place."

Prism stared at Cloud. "Uhh.."

They both sighed. "Well fuck."

Artemis looked at them, "I thought you knew. Alex said he wanted to go to Sora's first public high school thats about five blocks away from the house and Lilly said she wanted to go to the second one she had been enrolled in which you is eight blocks the other way from the first one," explained Artemis. Cloud and Prism exchanged a look that was laced with some sort of fear.

Kirai sighed. "You guys are 16. You were apart for 7 years of your life and you lived. You're gonna be fine going to different schools for 7 hours a day and then coming home to the same house."

"You don't get it Kirai." Cloud shook his head at him.

"I'm not good at dealing with people...," Prism said quietly. She was already nervous.

"Alex is gonna be there."

"You can't guarantee we'll have the same classes!"

Artemis walked over to the both of them and smacked them both behind the heads.

"You. Both. Will be just fine at different schools. Prism, I'll hack into their computers and get you both into the same classes and make sure he's never out of your sight. Cloud I'll do the same thing if you would like, now calm down both of you. You'll be just fine."

"Owww," they complained in unison.

Kirai shook his head at them. "You act like you've never been apart. Weren't you two just pissed at each other and didn't even want to be in the same forest?"

"You're the one who hated Sora and then totally broke down when you saw her again," Cloud snapped back.

"Remind me to never let you three stay in the room alone together..you might end up slapping each other or worse," sighed Artemis. He turned in the direction of where Sora left.

"You three shut up and let's get everyone going, and you Minoru since Sora brought you here, she has to pay attention to you and make sure you stay out of trouble. As for the rest of you...hurry up I think Sora may have gotten into some trouble by now"

"Oh it would definitely be worse," Cloud said, shooting an evil look at Kirai. Prism did the same.

Kirai blinked at both of them. "Y'know you guys are really scary."

"That's the point darling~"

Minoru looked up at the mention of his name. He'd been watching the twins, wondering why they were so weird. "Hm?"

"C'mon kid," Kirai said, following Cloud and Prism off to find Sora.

"Do the three of you ever stop?...Remind me to remake the room chart...now I know I can't let you two share a room and no I will not let you and Prism share a room Cloud," said Artemis before either of them could even think to ask.

Sora was already getting surrounded by eight kids at the school and was trying not to show everyone that she was a Shooter. She was mostly dodging and jumping over them all at once and was scratched but made sure to not get any bad injuries.

"Awwwwh, why nottt?" Prism whined.

"Come oooon Artemis, we'll be good," Cloud said, pouting over at him.

Kirai contained a laugh. The way Cloud acted around Artemis was just amusing.

"Because I said so Prism."

"Cloud I swear...no, you two are not going to share a room," Artemis said to him, "You two would only argue by the time you even set foot into a room that you two had to share its bad enough you two already argue over the fact that you can't eat cake tonight.."

"You ain't the boss of me," Prism responded, sticking her tongue out at him.

Cloud shook his head. "Nooooo. We shared a room for like 4 years and we're alive aren't we?"

"Yeah. We only broke like 2 shelves."

"Didn't you end up breaking a bed one time too?"

Kirai looked at Cloud seriously. "Do you have any idea how sexual that just sounded."

"NOOO. KIRAI, NOOOOOOO," Prism shook her head violently and hit Kirai's arm.

"YOU DIPSHIT. THANKS FOR THE MENTAL IMAGES. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT," Cloud said, throwing a knife at Kirai quickly, but it missed him completely. "That's horrible. Jesus. She kicked it, dumbass!"

"God damnit Kirai! You just had to make it worse didn't you?"

"No! Now that I know you broke two shelves from getting into arguments and you kicked a bed and broke it that way now I know you can't share a room together!," Artemis shook his head at the two of them and placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose.

"None of us needed those bad mental pictures you two are just way too much trouble..thats it Cloud your sharing a room with Alex and Prism your rooming with either Sora or Lilly you pick Kirai you and your brother share a room for now."


	24. After Battle 24

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-four**

**Kiki meets Artemis**

Cloud laughed. "Oh that's a great idea! Pair me with my sister's boyfriend who I almost got into a lethal fight with just today. Amazing choice," he said with a smirk.

"You need a room by yourself," Prism sighed. "If he's with me we'll break everything, if he's with Alex they'll kill each other, if he's with Lilly or maybe Kirai he'll... never mind there's a child here."

"And god knows what would happen if he roomed with Artemis," Kirai whispered, making sure Cloud could hear.

"I have another knife y'know," he threatened through gritted teeth.

"...Fine then..I'll make him sleep in the attic happy?!..it's the only room left that isn't being used and he would have his own room..'sides I don't trust him not to break my equipment," Artemis replied to them calmly.

"Knock it off you two or I'll make sure neither of you have dinner tonight thats right..I just threatened to ground you both," said Artemis as he looked back at them.

Sora found herself pinned to the ground by three of them and was struggling to get free and fight back. She had no choice, she ended up letting a very light spark of her flame burn and then got enough power from that to get free.

"I wouldn't break your equipment," Cloud grumbled. "I'm not thaaat destructive. I don't wanna sleep in an attic."

"Mmhmm. Sure you aren't," Prism said with an unamused look. "Don't lie just to share a room with him okay," she teased.

"I'm not! Go to hell."

"Only if you're there to pick me up," she replied sweetly. "Just sleep in the attic. Don't be afraid, there are no monsters," she assured him.

Cloud glared at her. "You're an idiot."

"You know what...if you won't sleep in the attic then you might as well sleep outside! God you are the most picky room person ever!..fine..then I'll change the whole damned thing up... Fine Cloud gets to pick first he can either room with; Alex, Minoru, Primrose, or Sora, You cannot share a room with Kirai, Prism or myself or Lilly, now pick," growled Artemis.

Sora knocked them out and let her flame disappear and since the blaze was too light in the sunlight no one could see the flame.

"What's wrong with me and Lilly being together? I mean we already-"

"No, Cloud. Just no. You're gonna make Artemis explode. Pick the person you are least likely to rape," Prism said.

"And no you can't pick Minoru." Kirai shook his head at Cloud.

"You guys act like I'm a sex offender."

Prism burst into laughter. "You practically ARE a sex offender!"

Cloud glared at her. "I was really fucked up okay," he defended.

"As opposed to now?"

"Fine just go with the original plan. I'll share with Alex and I will not kill him," he growled reluctantly.

"Good boy." Prism patted him on the head, having to stand on her tiptoes to do so.

"Go away."

"You love me~"

"For some twisted reason."

"Finally you pick someone..now as for you Prism, pick someone its either Lilly or Sora I can't room you with Primrose since she doesn't like you very much and said she would rather die..now pick."

Artemis looked at then as Prism patted Cloud on the head and tried not to let his irritation show.

Sora walked towards the front of the school to walk back home only to find that the final bell rang and school was letting out and found Kiki at the front gate.

"Fuck my life.."

Prism laughed. "She'd rather die. Wowie. Uhh. I think Lilly hates me and I think me and Sora are kinda friends now so Sora?"

"You guys will just rant about me probably," Cloud said.

"Yeah. You're easy to rant about."

"What's that supposed to mean, hm?"

"Means you're annoying."

Kirai looked at Artemis, slightly concerned. He looked quite flustered. "You alright?" he asked quietly as the twins continued their banter.

Kiki tilted her head at the sight of Sora and waved with a smirk.

"Don't," her friend advised her.

"Why not? Her little posse isn't here, that's as good a time as ever, right?"

Artemis looked over at Kirai and shook his head, "Not really..those two are going to give me such a headache or a migraine I swear I'll have to tape their mouths shut or something," Artemis told him with a sigh.

Sora clenched her fists when she saw Kiki and relaxed her grip slightly and started to head towards the gate to head back home. She would've loaded an arrow or kept her hand on her sword but forgot she had left those behind. Instead she would have to rely on her Shooter if she had to but made sure to keep that hidden.

"If that little bitch even says a thing..I swear..," Sora said to herself quietly so no one else would hear her. But as she passed other students they made sure to stay out of her way and made a path for her if they stood in her way.

"Cloud will calm down once Lilly is around. And then Prism will chill because Cloud will be harder to tease. We just have to put up with them for now," Kirai sighed.

Their topic had shifted to something else in the short time that Kirai and Artemis hadn't been paying attention. Cloud glared at Prism. "I don't even do that!"

"You totally do. Like all the time. It's not even funny," Prism told him with a laugh.

"No I don't. Oh my god."

Kirai gave them a confused look. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing."

"Something~"

Kirai shook his head. "Not gonna ask."

Kiki stayed still and waited until Sora walked past her, staying silent until then. She made sure her sword was easily accessible.

"Hello Sora."

"Shut up you two already! You're giving me a headache! Thats it no dinner for either of you already!,"Artemis shouted at them and then turned around and walked ahead faster.

Lilly came behind them with her wolves following her, "You guys made him pissed," she said to them, Alex nodded at them, "You two might want to stop it or else he will ground you or something."

Sora said nothing to Kiki and simply gave her a cold glare; she almost felt her flame blaze but made sure to command it away mentally. She then turned away and made sure to leave with a flick of her twin tails again. The other students who saw Sora leave with a flick immediately backed away from her path.

"She's pissed."

"I'm not fighting her..I have to go back and cancel."

"Me too"

"Right behind you"

Cloud and Prism looked at each other and laughed quietly. Kirai stared at them. "How is the fact that you're going to be starving funny in any way?"

"It's not."

"It's just really fun to annoy him," Prism said with a smile.

"Even if it means no food."

Kiki giggled mischievously. The kids around her looked at her with confusion. How was that funny? This chick was just asking to get her ass kicked.

"You guys are idiots."

"Well of course they are. If they keep making him mad then he might as well make them sleep in the attic instead."

Artemis reached the school by the time Sora had already left and saw the students' running back. He had no idea why but he also saw Kiki and rolled his eyes and started to walk towards the gate.

The kids looked at her and every one of them who had a fight with Sora the next day started to run back to the school to either cancel or to make it a team fight against her.

Prism shrugged. "Ah, who cares where we sleep."

"We just spent a week sleeping on the forest floor, I think we'll live," Cloud pointed out.

Kiki had a bunch of random students crowded around her, asking about the fight.

"Do you think you're gonna win?"

"Are you scared?"

"What's gonna happen?"

Kiki sighed. "Yes, yes, I have no idea," she answered. The crowd buzzed with excitement. This was just soo exciting!

Artemis couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. He was already irritated and stopped across from her and leaned against the gate to wait for the others and decided to play the agitation game.

"Those who are over confident obviously only prove they are weaker than the opponent. Its only fact since they get to believe are so strong they can't be beaten..what a shame I remember the last top before Sora thought the same and lost his life in the end," Artemis said. Kiki looked at Artemis blankly. "Didn't I just say I was scared? Of course I think I'm going to win, I have no idea how she fights. As far as I know she's better than everyone here, but I don't know if she's better than me. I'm being positive. You should try it. I know I can be beaten. But I don't know, you don't know, nobody knows if I can be beaten by Sora," she said calmly. She'd had too much experience with people trying to get her angry. It wasn't going to work this time.

Kirai and the others arrived and stayed back a little, but were close enough so they could hear. Kirai shook his head. "Kiki never knows how to shut up."

"I bet her and Prism would be good friends."

"Hey now." Prism slapped Cloud's arm gently. "You have to be nice, remember?"

Artemis looked at her even calmer with a new expression that said he was a closed book, that was unreadable at this point. "Heh. Just because you say you're afraid doesn't mean I know your type of fighters. And I know my sister enough for her fighting style and I'm pretty sure I know more about her capabilities to fight and win. Since I raised her alone her whole life, but as for you. It's best to not speak unless you understand your opponent and their allies. If not, then you will never even begin to understand them," Artemis told her. He pointed to the others and spoke again.

"You could go up against every single one of them including myself, and you would never know or learn any one of our fighting styles ever," Artemis told her. He motioned them over to him and nodded to them, "Let's get going..I'm getting a headache from this overconfidence in the air that's being hidden," said Artemis, he stood up and started to walk away.


	25. After Battle 25

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-five**

**How will they live together?**

Kiki looked at Artemis with a rather bored expression. "Well that was an invigorating little speech. How nice. My eyes are now open to all of my foolish mistakes," she said blankly, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Kirai sighed. He knew she'd say something like that.

She turned to walk away but stopped when she heard Artemis's last comment. She laughed softly to herself. "Yes. Because you certainly do not have a very self-confident air about yourself. You definitely did not just march over here like you owned the damn place and started lecturing me. Definitely didn't come across as overconfident at all," she retorted, and wiggled her fingers at him in a very mocking half-wave. Kiki continued her walk to wherever the fuck she was headed to next without another word.

Cloud blinked. "Well that was quite interesting."

"How does Taiki date that girl.." Prism whispered to her brother curiously.

"Very carefully?"

Artemis looked both sides trying to find Sora, "So, who has a clue to where Sora might have gone to instead of the house. Because I'm pretty sure she wouldn't head there yet knowing that's the first place I would go look for her," said Artemis. He then turned to them all with an idea.

"Well let's just go home instead and we can wait for her there, Kirai, Cloud if you two want to go look for her since I know Kirai might want to. You two can, but I need to help the girls and show them where their rooms are and Alex needs to help me anyways," said Artemis. Kirai looked at Cloud, who was looking back at him with the same bored expression. "Suuure."

"Why not," Cloud said blankly.

Prism poked them both. "Don't kill each other okay?"

"Good idea."

"No promises."

Prism glared at Cloud. "Do I need to take your knives away?"

"No mother, I'll be good," he responded, looking at her innocently while twirling one of the knives in question absentmindedly. "Come on Shizukana."

Kirai sighed. "Wish me luck..," he grumbled, and followed after Cloud. Artemis sighed, "Now that half the headaches are gone..the rest of you come back with me and we will go get you all moved into your rooms then when they get back we'll go get you all enrolled," explained Artemis as he glanced at the others.

Sora walked around the city, she was too lost in thought to even notice where she had been going. She came to a stop when she had bumped into to someone, when she looked around she remembered where she was, it was her old neighborhood when she was a child.

"It was mainly just Cloud.. remember when I was the annoying one?" Prism asked with a small laugh to herself.

"Where exactly are we going to stay anyway?" Primrose asked curiously, twirling a strand of hair.

"Where are we going," Kirai asked unenthusiastically.

Cloud shrugged without looking back at Kirai. He was walking ahead of him, partially because he was just faster and mostly because Kirai was walking extremely slowly in his annoyance at having to be with Cloud. "No idea. Somewhere in the city I guess."

"No shit."

This time Cloud did glare at him over his shoulder. "You're the one who asked."

"Oh, it's the house I kinda of inheritated from my parents after they umm died..," said Artemis, he then turned back away from them. He refused to talk about how he had gotten the house and what he had done in order to actually to make sure they couldn't try and keep him out.

Sora froze in her spot for a moment and then when she shook her head she started to walk down the streets towards where her old home was. She ended up taking the same path that she and her parents had used to take when they would walk home together.

Primrose and Prism shared a doubting look, but neither of them tried to ask him about it. They were smart enough to take the hint that he didn't want to discuss whatever he was hiding.

"Well where do you think she'd go?"

Cloud laughed. "Aren't you supposed to know that? You are her boyfriend after all."

Kirai already felt like punching this guy. "We haven't exactly had time to discuss key spots where she would head off to when she was royally pissed off. Kinda busy kicking the government's ass and too tired to anyway since we have to put up with your ass all day."

"Someone's a bit irritated."

"Again, I find the need to say, no shit."

Artemis led them all back to the house and it was a pretty big house with four rooms. He found the key he had hidden in a secret compartment and put the key in the door and opened the door. Inside the house was still clean and upstairs was nice too, it's just that the rooms needed to be reorganized and he would have to knock some walls down to make another room.

Sora slowly walked down the path until she had reached the final corner to where she and her parents would turn before they would see the house in front of them. Sora turned the corner and just as she remembered, the house was still there at the end of the path. Sora for some reason found a need to run to the gate and looking around again as if to find her parents.

"...They aren't coming..."

Primrose looked around. "Somehow I find all of us staying in one house will be disastrous."

Prism nodded in agreement. "Give it a week, dear. Sora and Kirai will be ready to make me an only child."

"Alright you just need to shut up. If you don't want sarcastic answers then don't ask questions, okay? Okay great. Now just to clear it up I don't know where the fuck I'm going, got it? Fabulous. Now just shut your fucking mouth and follow me," Cloud said calmly, not even sounding mad despite his words.

Kirai groaned in annoyance. Such an asshole. He looked around. They were walking around a random neighborhood, probably going in circles. Maybe the houses just looked the same.

Artemis glanced at them, "It shouldn't be that bad...hopefully or else I'll have to make a big dog house to house several people," he said calmly.

"And as for making you an only child...I don't want to know what you mean by that."

When Sora realized it would be pointless to stand in front of the gate waiting for her parents who would never return to come and find her waiting for them. She backed away from the gate and took a few steps away from the house; she looked at it one last time before turning on her heel and went left. Her twin tails flicked the air calmly as she started to head down the next path. She kept walking forward and realized where this path would lead to.

"Sure you do. By that I meant that I'm pretty sure Cloud will be in severe danger of dying again due it his annoying antics that he'll probably throw at us all," Prism explained.

Primrose nodded. "Yeah you might have to do that. By day three Kirai and Cloud will probably be fighting over small things like pancakes or something."

She thought for a second. "Hm.. their personalities aren't quite different. I wonder if they hate each other so much because they're so alike.. and like, maybe they don't want to be so similar to the other, so they hate them even more!" she theorized enthusiastically.

Prism shook her head at her. "Your random strokes of genius are still weird."

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"We don't have a destination, dumbass. There is no right way."

"Well I've seen that tree a lot of times, so I'm pretty sure you're walking in a circle."

"That's because this place is really familiar and I'm trying to figure out what it is."

"Oh my god don't remind me of that...I'm afraid that will happen way too much and if it does..they will be the ones grounded so much they will never get to go outside now," sighed Artemis.

Sora kept walking down the path until she made a few right turns and lefts until she finally came to where she had been going. She stopped in her tracks when she saw no one was there since they were all in school or out or eating their dinners already. What stood in front of Sora was the park where she and her parents would always go to everyday before and after school. Sora walked over to the swings and sat down on one.

"It's so quiet now..."

Prism nodded. "Oh it's definitely going to happen. That's inevitable. Cloud is just..," she didn't finish her sentence and just sighed. That pretty much explained it all.

Primrose blinked. "Why do we still put up with him?"

"..good question."

Cloud stopped in his tracks. "Ohhh.. this is Sora's old neighborhood," he said quietly, staring at the exact spot where he'd killed his best friend's parents all those years ago.

He turned abruptly and started walking in a different direction. Kirai almost didn't notice and had to jog after him to catch up. "Hey.. where are you going?"

"To find Sora, where are you going?"

"Why'd you walk away?"

"..I just don't want to be there."

"Well then...they can get grounded...a lot," sighed Artemis.

"He better behave and get good grades or I'll kick his ass to hell and back ten million times."

Sora sat on the swing and gently swung herself on the swing and watched as the area started to turn into a burned color as the sun slowly started to set. She didn't bother to move when she breeze had started to pick, she had just remembered her jacket was with Artemis and still didn't move. She didn't move and stayed where she was and started to cry silently to herself.

"..No one's coming...they won't come...they can't come find me...not anymore.."

Prism laughed. "Cloud getting good grades.. god no. He's gonna end up being that douchebag at school who everyone loves but they hate him at the same time. Be glad you're not gonna be at the same school as him."

"Why not?"

"I just didn't okay!" Cloud snapped.

Kirai went quiet for a few minutes. "..you seem to know where you're headed now," he whispered.

Cloud sighed angrily and told himself to calm down. "No shit," he shot back Kirai's own words at him. "Now shut up." He did know where he was going, but was in no hurry to get there at all. He didn't feel like having an emotional blowup, and especially not in front of Kirai.

"If he doesn't I'll stalk him around school and maybe transfer myself there just to watch him," said Artemis with a smirk.

Sora felt it get colder as the sun kept sinking into the horizon; she wrapped one arm around her but kept the other on the chain of the swing. She was shivering but still refused to even move, she continued crying wishing that someone would find her. She hoped more than anything that it would be her parents no matter how many times she told herself they wouldn't be arriving.

Prism laughed. "Think you can handle all those classes with Cloud?"

Cloud heard Kirai take a breath to say something and spun around and glared at him. "No, okay? No. Stop. You stay in this exact spot. Do not move. If you do. You will not like the outcome." He gave Kirai a few seconds of hard glaring before continuing his walk to a place he swore he'd never return to.

He stared up at the gate of the park, sighing. He had already noticed Sora. He was just gathering what he planned to say.

Which was, he decided, nothing. Maybe if he was just there it would be better. Unlikely but what other choice did he have?

Cloud warily took a step into the park, not liking how nostalgic it was. He stopped and looked around for a second before slowly walking over to Sora.

"..It's too cold for you to be outside," he whispered, breaking his promise to himself of not saying anything. He couldn't just let her sit there and cry without saying anything.


	26. After Battle 26

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-six**

**Cloud and Sora's emotional moment**

"I'm sure I can if it means to kick his ass in a public school just to embarrass him...or act like an older brother who babies him," laughed Artemis.

Sora slowly stopped crying and stared at the ground. Both her arms were now wrapped around her and she was still gently swinging herself on the swing with the tips of her feet. She was silent. She started to hear the sound of shuffling in the park, she was afraid to look up, but looked up to find Cloud.

She didn't have her voice back yet to even say a word to him, but she was able to mouth something more to herself then him,"..Its cold..," she mouthed.

Prism gasped with amusement. "Yes. You have to do that. Pleaaase do that," she said with a laugh. "He hates when I pull the big sister act on him, it'll be sooo much worse with you."

Cloud sighed and sat on the swing next to her carefully. "I don't have a jacket or you could have it..probably should've stolen Kirai's."

He looked out at the park and saw the bench that they used to sit on. It looked so foreign, and much more lonely than anything else in the vicinity, even if it didn't have any people other than Cloud and Sora.

"..Why are you crying?" he asked quietly, not wanting to look at her and her tears, knowing the answer to his question anyway.

"I will only do that if I have to," said Artemis with a smile, "But I can do that when I go and pick you both up from school."

Sora just shook her head at him about the cold. She had to wait for her voice to come back before she could even talk to him, but she felt some resentment boil up when he had asked her that. She would've lashed out at him but decided not to, it wasn't worth it now.

"..mom..dad...,"was all she had replied with, Sora tried to wipe her tears away but found it hard when they kept coming back again.

"Yaay!" Prism cheered. "Perfect retaliation. He's never actually been in school.. neither of us actually. We were homeschooled for a while but still.. we're gonna be pretty damn behind."

Cloud anticipated that response. He looked down at his feet and realized he'd never once sat on these swings when he'd came here as a kid. Then again, he never moved from that bench. What if Sora didn't find him because he wasn't at his normal spot?

He wanted to apologize again, but what was the point? She already knew, and wouldn't forgive him just because of how many times he said he was sorry.

..Fuck that. "..I'm sorry Sora."

"Well then...I'll just make you both study like hell," he said with a smile to Prism.

Sora started to swing a little more as she sat there with Cloud in silence practically since her voice would sound so much smaller at this point. But she looked at him with tear stained face and opened her mouth to talk again.

"I-I kn-know...I-I ju-just...I-I st-still wasn't ever going to be str-strong enough...,"Sora said to him through hiccups. She remembered the day clear again, but she had been blinded by her rage at someone attacking them she had not bothered to think of who the boy was at the time and only remembered him as her parent's killer.

"Nyaa.." Prism pouted over at him. "Whyyy? We don't need good grades! It's not like we'll be getting a job later on that will require them," she pointed out.

Cloud couldn't believe that she had just blamed herself for it. Again. How could she even think that in the first place? He was the one who went batshit crazy, not her.

"Don't even say that," he said, shaking his head. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "It was my fault for doing it in the first place, you couldn't protect them because it was two against one."

"Yes I know..but I don't want phone calls saying my brother and sister are fucking idiots and have only F's," said Artemis.

Sora looked away again and glanced as the sky was starting to get dotted with stars.

"So?...I-it was still my pro-promise that I would protect them! No ma-matter what it's my fault!," Sora shouted slightly in hiccups. She shook her head at him still remembering slightly the days when she was still being trained early back at the government. "..My training...failed..,"Sora was crying again and was now no longer able to be understood in her tears.

"What if we maintain like, a D average?" Prism suggested.

"Are you serious? Your training failed? Do you even know how good you are at fighting?" Cloud asked, almost amused at how she perceived herself. It was very much the opposite of the truth.

"You hadn't gotten that much training at that point in life.. you'd gotten out of the government forgot about it, right? So you couldn't get better.. whereas I did nothing but kill people for a few years, and so did Prism. It was an unfair fight and we shouldn't have won."

"Alright..fine...but if you both get one F then I'm making you study like hell," Artemis told her.

"But still..it was my job..my promise to them...and I still broke it...they can't come back...,"Sora said to him. She had remembered running back to the house looking for her parents wishing that the injuries and blood and fight had only been a dream.

"I shouldn't...have tried to spto trang...it my falt...im nting,"Sora was now unable to speak. She was crying all over again and she was letting her voice go quiet again and she looked at him. She hated to admit it but she liked his company, she forgot she had done the something to him every damned day. She got off the swing and stood up only to walk back to Cloud and hug him for comfort instead.

"Ahh fine." That provision was fair enough. Prism had a feeling that she and Cloud would end up competing over grades anyway, so Artemis really didn't have to worry.

Cloud simply shook his head in disagreement. She was just wrong. Nothing more to that. Her statements were just plain incorrect.

He was slightly surprised at the hug but didn't question it. He was lucky enough to have her not throwing all kinds of weapons at him. Cloud didn't hesitate to hug her back, possibly a little too tight given the fact that she was crying but he didn't really take that into consideration.

"..how much do you hate me?" he asked in a barely audible whisper. He'd been wanting to ask for a while.

"Good, now let's go show the girls the rooms so they can go pick...just stay out of the door on the far left thats Sora's room for now she won't be happy if you open the door yet," warned Artemis.

Sora only wanted him for comfort; he was like this weird giant teddy bear that she had to hug whenever Kirai wasn't around. He was her backup bear in case she didn't have Kirai with her. She was crying on Cloud and buried her face in his shirt to try and wipe her tears on his shirt.

She heard his question and tried to speak the best she could,"..noff beffry muff,"she said through his shirt and tears.

"Why?" Primrose asked cluelessly.

Cloud smiled a little at her garbled words. It took him a second to decipher it and he was then slightly surprised at what her answer had been. "Why?"

With all he'd done to her? She had the right to hate him to hell and back.

"Because she told me to tell you that," said Artemis.

Sora kept her face buried in his shirt as she tried to answer him again.

"youf the fone whof fold fe fo fet it gof rememfer?..and i fant hate you...fince i faved yourf vive afot,"Sora tried to tell him clearly the best she could.

She knew she could hate him forever. But she had already done that, and he had saved her life plenty of times and she had done the same for him too many times now.

Primrose blinked. That did not answer her question at all. She looked at Prism, like she would have the answer. The older girl just shrugged.

"I guess.. but I didn't think you actually would," Cloud said, getting quieter as he neared the end of his sentence. When he'd said that it was actually just a last resort. In no way did he think she would actually take his advice.

Alex looked between the girls and was also curious now but didn't want to ask.

Sora didn't say anything else since now she couldn't form words now at this point. She knew if she tried to talk she would end up making worse garble then before and just had to stay quiet again and yawned a bit.

Cloud released his hold on her a little and wiped away a stray tear that didn't seem to want to go away, not caring if another one was just going to appear in its place in a few seconds. "Come on.. Let's go back and get Kirai and then you can go to sleep okay?"

Kirai shuffled around in a circular pattern, disobeying Cloud's rule about staying where he was. "I aaammm boooreedd," he said to himself.

"Sooo fucking borinnngg.. Cloud's probably on an adventure and I'm just sitting here all like, Derp, I never do anything!" he said to a nearby streetlamp. He vaguely wondered if anyone in these houses could hear him.

Sora looked at him and rubbed her eye with one of her hands; she gave him a nod and waited for him to stand up. When Cloud started to walk she grabbed a hold of his hand and held his hand as they walked away.

Sora took another glance back at the park before facing forward again and giving a long yawn and slowly started to realize she was dragging her feet. Cloud realized this as well, and just stopped walking altogether. He could see Kirai at the end of the street anyway. Close enough.

"Kiraaaaaaaaaai," he called lazily.

Said teenager looked up in surprise. Cloud and Sora holding hands. That's better than killing each other, he supposed. Kirai quickly walked over to them.

He looked at the two of them, slightly concerned. "What happened?"

Sora looked up at Cloud then back to Kirai with sleepy eyes and yawned again.

She pulled on Cloud's sleeve, "Why fe stop?," she asked in a sleepy voice the best she could and had to rub her eyes again.

She was getting to sleepy to stand anymore and out of nowhere just sat down on the ground and waited for what would happen next. "Emotional moment. Talk about it and I'll kill you," he answered Kirai. Cloud looked down at Sora and both he and Kirai started laughing at her random action.

"B-because," he said through laughs, "Kirai can just carry y-you."

Kirai tried to stop laughing and ended up with just a smile. He held a hand out for Sora to stand so that he could lift her up easier. "Come on kid."

Sora looked at them both confused.

Sora looked at Kirai's hand for a moment before she reached up to take his hand, she only found herself starting to complain about being tired and pouted about it now once she was on her feet. "I'm noooooot a kiiiiiiiiiiid,"she complained to him.

"You are to me," Kirai pointed out. He picked Sora up carefully and started to follow Cloud, who had impatiently started walking again. "I'm a whole year older than you, remember?" he reminded her.

"I don't care...I'm more mature then you," she told him as she stuck her tongue out at him and pouted. She was not enjoying being called a little kid and was tempted to start poking the hell out of Kirai.

"Oh, deeeefinitely," Kirai said sarcastically. "Most mature people do indeed stick their tongue out." He would've poked her himself if he wasn't carrying her. Sora laid her head on him as he carried her. "Yes they do," she said to him with a yawn and started to close her eyes. "Don't...get lost..," she said before falling asleep.

"We're not gonna get lost. We got here didn't we?" Kirai told her, even though she'd passed out.

"Psh. Yes," Cloud began, "After about 40 minutes of aimless wandering, we reached this place. Be glad I lived close to here or you would get lost."

Artemis was already dragging the others around in a store to get some food to make for their dinner since they needed to go shopping.

"Hey stop running!"

"Artemis she's poking me again!"

"Knock it off you two!"

"Artemis can we get this?"

"No I said food!"


	27. After Battle 27

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-seven**

**Visit to the store**

"Prism if you touch me one more time," Primrose growled, glaring over her shoulder at the older girl.

"I don't have a Cloud to mess with! I have to annoy someone! I've got ADD and schizophrenia, I must be entertained!" she whined, spinning around in circles in the middle of an aisle. One of her knives clattered to the floor, having slipped out of her pocket. Several bystanders gave her worried glances.

Prism looked at the fallen weapon. "Oh shoot! I dropped my knife!" she said, probably louder than she should've, and picked up the blade, twirling it around and waving innocently at a guy standing near who was giving her a confused look.

Primrose sighed in annoyance. "How Cloud lived with you for 16 years without killing himself, I have no clue."

"All of you knock it off already! Prism put that away and stop poking Primrose! I'll send you to bed without dinner unless you behave!," Artemis shouted at her in the aisle as he pulled her to the side. He then turned to Primrose, "Put the candy away. Lilly put that ice cream back. Alex no we cannot get that cereal it has too much sugar and the last thing any of you need is more sugar!"

Artemis was ready to hit them, but he couldn't since he was in public and was trying to keep them calm and under control in the store. Primrose pouted at him for a second before sighing, not wanting to anger him anymore. "Ah fine," she grumbled, placing a pack of lollipops back on a random shelf. A nearby store attendant gave her a disproving glance. She ignored it.

Prism groaned in annoyance, walking in circles around Primrose. "Can we leave yet?" she asked no one in particular.

"We can get candy next time if you all behave next time..but not this time..and as for you Prism, no we can't. We aren't done shopping and we only got three things on the list since you all keep grabbing crap randomly," sighed Artemis.

Alex sighed and put the cereal back on the shelf and Lilly ran back to put the ice cream away in the freezer section. Primrose glared at the rest of them. "You hear that?! We all have to be good next time so I can have candy!" she said, sounding as scary as a 14-year-old with bubblegum pink hair could. Which wasn't very much.

Prism glared at a group of girls who were standing near a soda machine and were looking over at Alex. She absentmindedly twirled her knife faster.

Primrose looked at her. "Okay you, need to just, go into the parking lot, and do whatever the fuck you want, but get away from all other human beings right now okay?," she told her, pushing her towards the exit. Artemis sighed, and sent Lilly with Prism to go watch her while they would be in the store still and get the rest of what they needed. "Alright, umm Primrose can you go and get some juice for everyone and one that everyone will drink? And Alex you can come with me and get the rest of what we need," said Artemis.

Lilly nodded and went to go get what he sent her to do, Alex nodded and started to follow Artemis past the girls but was ended up being sent back to get the napkins that was near those girls.

"Why do I have to get it?..why can't other people get it?," Alex said as he reached up and grabbed the package of napkins and as he started to leave the aisle he dropped a gift he had received a few weeks ago. He had received it from one agent who had been kind enough to remember that it was the day he had been assigned his number. He stopped and went to pick it up.

Primrose went to go follow Artemis's instructions, ignoring glares she got as she passed by the group of females who seemed far too confident for their own good. She smirked. If they only knew that she could kick their asses, and if she couldn't, her boyfriend certainly could. Let em glare.

A member of what seemed to be the small fangirl club stepped ahead of her friends, picking up the object faster than Alex could and holding it out to him with a smile. "Here ya go."

Prism tilted her head at the girls through the store window. "Oh heeeelll no." She glared daggers through the glass. "You think I can break this window if I need to?"

Artemis went to go find Primrose as he had already gotten the rest of what he and Alex were getting and wanted to make sure that the others were doing okay in the store.

Alex looked at the girl and stood up to take the object back and nodded to her. He smiled at her a tiny bit with his green eyes, "Thanks for the help," he said to her.

Lilly placed a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down, I'm sure he won't do anything, it's not like he would want one of the those girls to begin with," sighed Lilly. "And no breaking the glass Artemis won't be happy still."

Primrose glared up at the packets of fruit punch juice. Why couldn't she be taller than 5'4? She took a few steps back and ran at the shelves, jumped up and failed to grab the large box. She sighed and looked around for something to climb onto.

"No problem," she replied cheerfully. She tilted her head, still with that smile, although it seemed subtler now. "Hey, you have really pretty eyes."

Prism shook her head. "It's not that, he's too goddamn innocent and nice to know what he shouldn't say," she sighed.

"Eh.. I can't break this anyway. Then the cops will get called and they'll figure out who I am and then I'll get arrested for about five hundred murders."

"Hey Primrose, did you grab the juice yet?," Artemis called her as he walked towards the aisle and when he walked into them he couldn't help but try and not laugh. "Are you okay there?"

Alex looked at her, "Umm thanks," he started to reattach the object to his belt and then back to the girl. "So uhhh I have to get back with my friends," he said calmly. He started to slowly walk away hoping the girl wouldn't try and stop him.

"Well that's one reason to not break it. But it's a good thing that you know he wouldn't have a clue, besides think about it. If he doesn't know how to talk to people he won't know what to even say to her."

"No I am not okay," she answered, still glaring at the unattainable juice. "It's too high." Primrose jumped a little again, but it really was hopeless. "I'm too short."

Prism laughed. "Hahaa! She scared him away. Sucks for you, ya little bitch," she said with a smirk.

"Now I don't have to break anything and get arrested~ haha~"

"Well then I'll get it for you," Artemis said trying to contain his laughter as he saw her trying to jump for the juice.

"I know he doesn't want to talk with her but why is she following him? Prism I can go stop her if you want me to since you'll just get in more trouble with Artemis if you go back in there," said Lilly.

Alex looked back over his shoulder and saw that the girl was following him, so he stopped walking and turned around to face her. "Umm..why exactly are you following me?," he asked her. Primrose glared over at Artemis this time. "Hey. I can hear the laughter in your voice, meanie. It's not my fault they put it so high up there," she said with a pout.

Prism sighed angrily, turning to face the window again. Maybe she should let Alex do this by himself?

"Hm?" The girl looked at him with innocent eyes. "Oh. I'm not, my friend's over there," she said, pointing to a girl who was 'waiting' for her conveniently only one aisle over.

Prism sighed after some thinking. "Yeah go kick her ass."

Artemis couldn't help but laugh after he grabbed the juice and then hugged her, "It's okay, I'll be here to help you," he told her.

Alex looked at her friend then back to the girl. He gave it some thought for a moment and tried to wonder why her friend was so close by when her friend could've just walked over to her instead.

"So..she couldn't come over to you instead?"

Lilly nodded, "Just wait here for a moment," said Lilly as she started to walk into the store. "Damn right you will," Primrose grumbled, hugging him back and then playfully hitting him.

The girl shrugged. "She had texted me to walk over there when you dropped that thing, so I gave it to you on my way over here," she explained. "Maybe there's something over there she's gonna show me."

Artemis laughed and smiled at her, "Come on and lets go find Lilly."

Alex gave her a slight nod, "Well..alright then," said Alex. Just as he was about to start walking away Lilly tackled him, "Brother there you are! I've been looking all over the store for you," said Lilly in an innocent voice. She looked up at the girl, "Who are you?," Lilly asked coldly. "I wonder what insane things have happened while we were acquiring this juice," Primrose wondered aloud.

The girl took a surprised step back when Alex was tackled and glared down at the girl. She forced a smile. "No one. Just going to see my friend," she said, walking away from the two of them and over to the girl, hurriedly telling her what had happened already.

Prism laughed from outside. "Take that!"

"Hell if I know...but I bet it can't be good," said Artemis with a sigh of fear.

Lilly looked back at the girl and then got an idea,"Heyyy...I have an idea," she said to Alex. Alex gave her a look but sent him down a different aisle down to find Artemis and Primrose who were finding Lilly. Lilly then walked over to the two girls,"Sooo..let me give you the real story," said Lilly in an innocent voice and a sweet smile before grabbing them both by the collars roughly.

"He's not my blood brother but let me clear this up for you, if you even go near him at all, I'll kick both your asses got it?," she said in a sweet voice but cold brown eyes. Primrose tilted her head at Alex when she saw him at the end of an aisle. "Alex? Where's everyone else?"

Both of the girls shot each other a glance before nodding quickly, not wanting to say anything to upset this strange girl who could apparently damage them very badly, very quickly.

"I have no idea," he told her still trying to process what had just happened.

Lilly glared at them at this point, "Answer me when I give you an order!"

"You alright there?" Primrose asked. He looked extremely confused.

The girls nodded again, more frantically this time. "Yes ma'am," both of them hurriedly squeaked out.

"Some girl randomly started to talk to me and wouldn't leave me alone," sighed Alex.

Lilly gave them a nod of approval and then pushed them both back away. "And stay away from him; if I see you both near him again I'll make sure you want to move."

Primrose giggled a little. "Yeah that's gonna happen in the city."

They both nodded, whispered an "Okay!" and scurried off, back over to their other groups of friends.

Prism decided that she was calm enough to enter now and strolled into the store. "Heh heh."

Alex just shook his head and started to walk back over to Artemis and handed him what he had gotten from the aisle before being stalked by those girls.

Lilly watched them run off, then walked back outside with an innocent smile on her face, "There problem solved~," she said calmly. She gave Prism a pat on the shoulder and then nodded, "Come on, maybe we should head back to the house and clean up a bit before they get home," suggested Lilly.

"Yaaay," Prism said, twirling around to emphasize her contentment. "It would've been more fun to hurt them but I guess scaring them works too."

Prism nodded. "Yeah that's probably a good idea. I should probably do something nice since I've already driven Artemis off the handle a little."

"But if I did that then Artemis would know and then he would get pissed off at me too," laughed Lilly. She gave Prism a nod, "Yeah, maybe it's best to do something to at least make him happy as an apology to him," Lilly explained. "Who caaares?" Prism asked. "He gets over hatred fast anyway. I mean he and Cloud are like, friends.. kind of."

Prism sighed. "Normally I hate apologies but I guess I've been extra annoying today.."

"I would care because then I would be grounded too with you and be bored as hell," laughed Lilly, "And thats torture enough"

Lilly patted her shoulder, "Well lets going now and then we can make him happy again."


	28. After Battle 28

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-eight**

**New family troulbes**

Prism gave one last glare to the group of girls and then sighed. "Okaay," she said, spinning around in little circles as she walked.

Kirai stopped walking when he came upon a rather important realization. "Umm..Cloud?"

"Hm?" Cloud stopped and turned to look at him.

"Where are we going?" It looked like Cloud had been leading them towards the school, but it was dark out. Why were they going there?

"To the house we're staying in."

"Where IS the house we're staying in?"

Cloud stared at Kirai. "I thought you knew."

"Why would I know?!"

"I figured since you spent like two months with Artemis you would know where he would've taken us."

"You're the one walking ahead of me; even if I did know wouldn't I be in front of you?"

"...I'm tired okay? I'm not exactly thinking straight."

Lilly laughed and started to walk ahead of Prism and made sure she didn't lose track of the girl either.

Sora heard the two of them arguing and looked up when their arguing had woken her up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes tiredly and sighed quietly.

"Go straight a little more then go right for three blocks then a left and the house will be to your left and its green with light blue trim on the house," she yawned to them. Cloud yawned a little. "See. Nothing to worry about," he said to Kirai as he turned around and resumed his walking, now following Sora's directions.

"You were getting worried too," Kirai grumbled.

"Not nearly as much as you were."

Sora grumbled under her breathe as she watched the path ahead of her.

"...Shut up...you guys are the reason why I'm awake," she deadpanned at them with a bored tone. "Yes, but you love us," Cloud pointed out, taking that right turn Sora had told him to take.

"Well at least, you love me," Kirai teased.

Cloud glared at him. "Haahaha shut up."

"I know I love you..but as for him he gets a pillow in the face later," said Sora as she roared at him the best she could.

"But you both were loud and woke me up you ass hats."

"Hey, I can't not yell at Cloud. It's not humanly possible, I'm sorry," Kirai told her.

"You totally can. Prism does it all the time."

"That's because she has a mental disorder and has put up with you for multiple years. I just hate you so it's kinda difficult. Like right now? So much self-control is being wasted, bro," he told him. Sora grumbled under her breath before she hit Kirai on the head and started to crawl off of his back. She decided it was better to be sleepy and walk ahead sleepy and run into crap.

Sora walked ahead and started ahead of them and yawned which ended up her running into a lamp post. Cloud and Kirai didn't even try to contain their laughter. They were much too tired for that.

"Sora.. why.. did you even try to walk?" Kirai asked her through laughs. "You were obviously gonna run into something," he said, directing her away from the post she'd ran into. Sora glanced at them with a sleepy glare.

"Cause...you would only get lost...," she said to him with a pout as she rubbed her nose. She let him guide her away from the lamp post and stared at the ground plainly. "You two will be under water tonight.."

"Awwwh." Cloud pouted over at Sora. "Don't do thaaaat." His voice was a higher pitch than usual, due to him almost falling asleep just standing right there.

Kirai shook his head. "Nahh. You're too tired to pick us up."

Sora growled at him a bit before she turned to Kirai.

"But it would only be fair since you two laughed at me you meanies it's no wonder I'll make sure you two share a room," she said. Sora then picked up a small rock and threw it at Cloud hitting him on the head.

"WHAT?!" Cloud protested loudly, turning to look at Sora, thus getting hit in the face with said rock. He glared down at it and then back up at Sora. "You cannot make us share a room. No."

"She won't do it. She knows you'd end up killing me," Kirai said to him.

"Not unless I ask my big brother," Sora turned away for a minute and then turned back around looking all innocent and with a sweet look in her eyes.

"Artemis..can they share a room please? I'm sure it would help them learn to be nicer to each other and I'll make sure they behave..Please big brother?," Sora said with a sweet tone in her voice.

She then continued the look in her eyes as she looked back to Kirai. Kirai blinked at her. So she was serious. "No. That is going to make it so much worse on so many levels."

"There will literally be no good in that happening. None. None at all. And you know that I'll end up hurting him in some way," Cloud told her, shaking his head.

"You know I might not be able to fight as well but I'm pretty sure that I actually am stronger than you," Kirai pointed out.

Cloud gave him a blank look. "Just because you can chop down a tree-"

"With one swipe-"

"-regardless of the amount of attempts it took, does not mean that you are stronger than me. That was purely because of your shock at what I had said."

Kirai glanced at Sora while she wasn't looking and gave Cloud a mischievous look.

Cloud shook his head abruptly. He raised his knife and jabbed at the air in the direction of Kirai. "I will do it."

"So will I."

Sora looked at them both, and she walked back to Cloud and quickly grabbed him by the wrist twisted his arm and flipped him over her shoulder causing him to drop the knife. She then sat on his back while holding his arm back.

"Let's see who's faster and who can save who either way even if you do share rooms," she said to him innocently with a wicked smile. Sora made sure to pull his arm back hard to make him remember the pain she had caused him before as well.

"Let's not forget who has Shooters and who does not and who would most likely win.."

"Wha-t the fuck?!" Cloud glared up at Sora as best as he could, being twisted into this position.

"I didn't even do anything! If you think I'm actually going to kill him then you're just an idiot," he said, not trying to get her off, but failing his attempts at trying to reach his knife again. He just didn't like it being out of reach.

Kirai looked down at Cloud and laughed a little. "Well sor-ry, you do make it pretty convincing," he said, nudging Cloud's head with his foot.

"Don't touch me. And get your girlfriend off of me before I stab both of you. And before you flip your shit over anything, no I am not serious, so no need to have a spaz attack and flip me over a second time," he growled. Sora looked at him and pulled his arm back a bit some more. She didn't bother getting off of him she stayed where she was and gave a slight yawn but remained alert enough to keep him pinned.

"That's what you said last time and what the fuck happened then? Huh?," she asked irritatedly and made sure she kicked the knife towards Kirai.

"Ughhhh, what in the ever loving fuck is the point of this?! In no way is this going to prevent me from constantly threatening to injure Kirai in some way, nor will it stop me from succeeding in those attempts which, might I re-point out, are not sincere. The only thing that it will come remotely close to being successful at is pissing me off further, which is only going to cause me to be increasingly irritating, seeing as my vocabulary seems to grow as I become more flustered. So how about you get the fuck off of me so we can get back to the goddamn house so I can go into a room, which I will have to share with your blithering idiot of a boyfriend, and pass the fuck out so I can get away from all of you people? I think that sounds like a pretty fucking top notch idea," he said.

Kirai stared down at him, the knife now twirling around in his hand like Cloud often did. "Well that was impressive."

Sora rolled her eyes and let go of him.

"Fine then...Go home. Both of you. I'll be home later in the morning. Later...maybe," Sora said the last part under her breath so they couldn't hear and got off of him and turned around. She looked to the wall to her left and then jumped up onto the top of the wall and took off jumping from the roofs. She vanished in the darkness as the sun finally set and nothing but darkness filled the area.

Lilly was cleaning up the living room and made sure to help Prism clean the rooms except Sora's still. The house was almost clean when Artemis came walking through the door.

"Alright shut up!"

Cloud sat up and glared up at Kirai, who was smirking down at him. "Give me my knife before I explode in an extravagant fit of rage."

Kirai simply looked at him and spun around, walking off towards the house. It was pretty close now, just at the end of the street.

"Kiraaaii," Cloud said slowly, standing up. "You just remember that I'm gonna be in a room with you.. remember the fucking reason why you're so goddamn scared of me," he grumbled, having to walk faster than usual to catch up to him.

"Give me the knife."

"Calm down Raincloud."

"Call me that again and I will strangle you so hard that-"

"You are quite violent today."

"Oh I wonder why. Maybe because you and your lovely girlfriend are highly skilled in the art of being fucking agitating without even trying. Give me. The knife."

Prism poked her head out of one of the rooms and looked at the door when she heard them arrive. "Well hello to you too, then."

"Tell them to shut up! They have done nothing but argue the whole way back from the store and now I have to buy them a damned leash or duct tape," said Artemis as he walked towards the kitchen.

"But she started it! I was only walking back and then she tripped me!,"Alex protested as he followed half through the living room and stopped.

"It was all that other girl's fault she kept following me and gave Artemis a head ache with all her questions," said Alex. "I did not trip you! Geez quit exaggerating!" Primrose sighed heavily and leaned in the doorway. "Why would I even trip you anyway?! I have like no problems with you. Until now of course," she added with a glare.

"Of course I was following you dumbass, we were all going to the same place..," she said with a roll of her eyes.

Prism laughed. "This is amusing."

"Oh my goodd can you get any more intolerable?" Cloud groaned with obvious annoyance at Kirai.

"Can you become any more of a whiny bitch?"

"Yes I can, would you like to witness it?" Cloud challenged with a glare.

"That is the exact opposite of what I would like to do. Congratz. You have won the prize."

"Well thank fucking god, I'd been trying so hard to win that goddamned thing," Cloud said sarcastically. He poked Primrose in the back of the head upon reaching the doorstep. "Hey. Move."

"Oh god Cloud's back," Prism said, sounding rather unenthusiastic.

"Missed you too."

"Liar...you did too trip me and you know you did because you stepped on the back of my foot and did it on purpose you meanie face!," Alex pouted at her.

Lilly came from downstairs carrying a bundle of bed sheets and then tossed them on a pile they made.

"What's going on?," she asked. "Primrose and Alex are arguing over something about tripping and Cloud and Kirai are back, though not Sora which is kind of unsettling," Prism explained to Lilly.

"Oh and also I think Artemis is going to explode."

Cloud snatched his knife back from Kirai while he wasn't looking and walked past Primrose, and into the house. "She said she'd be back later and then jumped ominously onto some roofs and into the sunset. It was quite a poetic exit."

"Also Cloud is talking like he's a fucking literature major," Kirai added. "And he claims that he can get bitchier than he is now.

Prism nodded. "He does that when he gets upset. And please, for the love of god, do not doubt him on that."

"Oooohhhhhhh okay...well then..maybe Cloud should go take a bath with bubbles I just cleaned the bathroom," said Lilly with a smile and then went back to place the bottle of bubble bath on the counter.

Artemis came back into the living room after he had finished putting away the food and he looked around.

"...Where's Sora?," he asked in a very curious but a warning tone in his voice. "Yes. That is a 'top notch idea'," Kirai said, mocking Cloud while simultaneously shoving him in the direction of the bathroom. "Go away."

"She's somewhere in the city probably doing something she really shouldn't be. Oh and please don't hit me for letting her. I'm a tortured soul I can't take an abusive relationship," Cloud joked, smiling tiredly over at Artemis.

"And if I even sit down at this point then I will pass out and if I do that in the bathtub then I will die."

"All the more reason to get your ass in the tub," Kirai said with a nod. Artemis pointed quickly for Cloud to head to the bathroom, "Get in there now..As for the rest of you except Lilly. You will all come with me to find my sister. At this hour..in the dark..when she upset you better hope she's not with her gang," he growled. He grabbed Kirai by the collar, "As for you..you better hope she hasn't run into anyone at this hour," Artemis growled as he headed out the door and shoved Kirai out of the way.


	29. After Battle 29

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle twenty-nine**

**Finding Sora again**

Kirai pouted at Artemis as he was pushed. "Heyy what'd I doo?"

"You let your girlfriend get away while she was obviously not thinking very straight?" Prism suggested.

"You failed yet again to stop her from running away?" Primrose added.

"You actually succeeded in becoming more intolerable?" Cloud tried. Kirai glared at him. "Listen to Artemis."

"Ahh shut up," Cloud waved off his comment and trudged down the hallways to the bathroom. "Go find your girlfriend, lover boy."

Artemis ran straight towards town to try and find any signs of Sora and her gang that would be anywhere by now in the city running around and causing trouble already.

"Now now..Let's get you in the bathtub young man," teased Lilly as she went to go get him some towels and rushed around trying to find him the shampoo she had placed somewhere.

"Not again...come on Kirai the two of us can go find her together," suggested Alex. "Raaah.. I dun wannaaa," Cloud complained. He remained in the spot he was standing in and pouted at Lilly while she scurried about. "I wanna go to sleeeep."

Kirai nodded silently, thinking over how many times Sora had run away on his watch. He had let it happen a lot. "Yeah..let's go."

"No sleep until you take a bath..it's your bath time..or do I need to put in that tub myself?, "she asked him as she grabbed a bottle of soap too from a shelf..cause I'll do it," Lilly said to him.

Alex walked outside and turned to Kirai, "Do you maybe have a slight idea where she might have gone to?," Alex asked him.

Cloud looked at her skeptically and wondered if she was serious. "..no you won't.." he said warily. He very seriously doubted that she'd be able to anyway.

Kirai followed him and thought as hard as he could. "No.. she was having another freak out moment about her parents earlier though... I don't know of any places attached to her parents though," he sighed. Once again, he was useless.

Lilly crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh won't I?," she questioned. Lilly quickly dragged Cloud into the bathroom and closed the door and immediately started to run the water. Before Cloud could even get away Lilly grabbed him by the wrist and started to try and get him out of his shirt.

"You're getting in that bath tub whether you want to or not..you need a bath," Lilly told him.

"Well is there any other place you think she may have gone to before you knew about her parents?," asked Alex. Cloud laughed when she proceeded to defy his assumptions. "And you intend to undress me fully, huh?" he asked with a smirk and grabbed her hands for a second and held them still.

He looked into her eyes and laughed again, a bit more mischievously this time. "Have fun with that," he whispered teasingly, giving her an innocent look and dropping his hold on her hands.

Cloud was curious to see if she would.. and if she did, how long it would take her before she exploded in giggles or died from blushing.

"Uhhmmm.." Kirai wracked his brain for anything more useful. "..Not really. But she always seems to be on top of places.. so she's probably someplace pretty high? Prism was on top of a really tall building once, she could be there," he said with a shrug. What good was that information?

Lilly gave him a look and smirked right back at him and shook her head, "You need bath time and I'll make sure you get it," she said to him with a slight giggle.

Once he released his grip on her hands Lilly ignored his comment and fought him to get him undressed, she knew what she was doing to herself. But she was determined to get him into the bathtub and make him sleepier.

Lilly had been successful in getting him undressed and a was blush wanting to start across her face but she forced it back and then looked at him and pointed to the tub. "Tub, now bad child," Lilly said. She tried to hide every hint of giggles and blushing as best she could.

"That's really helpful and which means we need to look up high and I need to try and make her flame start again," Alex said calmly.

Cloud stared at Lilly for a second before laughing. "Wow. You actually did it. I'm proud of you," he praised her, patting her on the head lightly before quickly getting into the bathtub and dragging the shower curtain across so he was hidden.

He'd forgotten that it would also be quite embarrassing for him.

"Now go away."

"Awh man.. I hate those goddamn things," Kirai grumbled.

Lilly laughed a bit and nodded, "I'll leave your towels here and your clothes too..I'll come back and check on you later," Lilly said to him as she left the bathroom.

Lilly went downstairs and sat on the couch and laid down and fell asleep watching the clock.

"Well it's the only way to make her stand out," said Alex.

Cloud had trouble staying awake, what with being submerged in warm water and having bubbles everywhere. However, he did manage to make it out without drowning..

He walked into the living room after getting re-dressed to see where Lilly had gone, and upon seeing her asleep, took a seat on the couch across from her and promptly fell into his own sleep.

Kirai sighed. "Yeah.. but she gets all dangerous and stuff.. and what if there are more color-themed people out there who find her and then she goes all evil again?!"

Lilly turned on her side in her sleep and yawned a bit. She opened her eyes for a moment and then pulled the blanket on the back of the couch she was on and pulled over herself and went back to sleep.

Alex patted his shoulder, "I doubt they had time to create the other three or four that were in progress, they didn't have time to put them into any trials so they would have been defective anyways," said Alex.

"Eh.. I guess she's okay then.. but still, it's unnerving to know that she's out in the city alone, at night, and could suddenly go insane over something as small as like, seeing someone litter. And she could hurt people," Kirai said. He was pretty paranoid about all of this ever since he'd seen how crazy she'd gone. "Well I'm not sure she would go insane over those kinds of things. But we need to find her still, if not I think Artemis might make you sleep in the backyard tonight," Alex said to him. Kirai blinked when he realized something. "Oh yeah.. I forgot you have no idea where to go around here. Whoops," he said, laughing at himself as he started to lead the way towards the middle of the city, where the building had been.

"So which building is it that she was at when she had tried to hunt down Prism the first time? Artemis told me the story once of their first meeting in a long time," Alex told him. Alex looked around the city; he knew if he didn't stay close he would be the one to get lost. "Maybe the building besides being tall. Has another purpose, I mean tall buildings aren't just stood on for no reason right?," asked Alex. He saw Kirai trying to read the signs only problem was right when he moved Kirai to the side a bullet went past them.

Alex turned and saw three guys standing there in the darkness each with a weapon in hand. Kirai looked in the direction of where the bullet had flown from. "What..the..fuck?" he said slowly.

This was not a good situation.

Three against two, it was likely that Alex didn't have any weapons on him, and Kirai sure as hell didn't. He wouldn't be of much help either way.

"What the hell do they want?" he whispered carefully to Alex. "If I knew that don't you think I would've kicked their ass already?," Alex whispered back to him.

The three of them stood in front of the two, they were about to advance forward when they stopped. "Don't. Touch them," said a girl's voice. The three of them parted to let the girl through. Once she came into view they saw it was Sora.

"They're just street mice, they aren't who were looking for..let's go," said Sora. She turned to leave. Kirai stared at Sora with confusion. They were what? Did she just call her boyfriend and her little brother street mice? Was she alright?

He gave Alex a glance to see if he knew what was going on. "Uh.. is she okay?"

He looked at her, "I think so..but I think she only called us that to seem not all girly in front of them. She seemed to be in charge and once you show weakness of any kind its over for the leader. She may explain later," said Alex.

"Are you three idiots coming or not?! Leave those two boys alone before I come over there and kick your asses instead!," Sora shouted at the three. Kirai suddenly had the desire to embarrass the hell out of her in front of them, as payback for the multitude of times that she'd done the same to him. But he quickly thought better of that. Doing something like that could mean more trouble than some blushing for Sora.

"Oh." He looked over at the three guys who were still standing in front of them. Why hadn't they moved yet? Alex gave him a slight nod. It was hard to understand somethings with Sora, but when she was in charge back at the base he never saw her crack under any kinds of pressure until the attack.

The three stood there still not moving. Sora got tired of waiting and then walked back and shoved of them to the ground roughly, "I said. Let's get going. Or did your ears break?," she asked with a hiss. Kirai was only slightly surprised at Sora's random aggressiveness. He wondered how badly he'd get injured if he asked who they were looking for. It was probably best not to ask.

Why were those idiots not listening to her? Obviously they knew what she was capable of, so were they suicidal or something? The three didn't bother to answer her but simply shook their heads in response. "Get going now. I'll catch up in a minute," Sora ordered, they nodded and they got up and left.

Sora watched them leave, once she knew they were gone she turned back to Alex and Kirai, "What are you two doing out here?"

"Looking for you. What are YOU doing out here?" Kirai asked her. "And who are you looking for?" He couldn't think of anyone else they needed to get rid of. "I'm out here doing business. And why are you looking for me?," she asked Kirai. "As for who I'm looking for..thats not your concern," Sora said with a secretive tone in her voice.

"Artemis was being protective again. And you also have a history of running away and getting into some serious trouble," Kirai pointed out.

He tilted his head at her. "Are you sure it isn't? I mean I'm pretty concerned right now," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Well he can just kick rocks then. Yes I am aware of how much trouble I can get into and that's a good thing for me," Sora told him.

"Don't worry about it...let's just say..they won't need to worry about anything at all after tonight," she said with a slight smile. Kirai blinked at her, suddenly feeling scared for whoever she was talking about. "Sora. Who are you killing?" The only person he could think of was Kiki, but he wasn't about to say that and give her an idea if it wasn't her original plan.

"No one Kirai..at least..no one you need to worry your sweet little head over," she said to him innocently. Sora wasn't going to let him know who she was going to kill; it was an old rival from the other gang that had always managed to piss her off all the time. Kirai continued to look at her, unconvinced. "It doesn't matter who it is, the fact that you're killing someone is the bad part. If Cloud hadn't known you would it have mattered any less that he killed your parents? No. Would you hate him any less? Probably not. What if whoever you're going after has a little sibling they have to take care of, huh? They're going to be put in the exact same situation you were."

Sora rolled her eyes at him. "Please, I know their back story already. They ran away from home and didn't care who they left behind. They in fact used to live several states away from here and they have changed their name to never be found by their original family. They heard the missing children's list and saw their name but did not care, they never answered and no one found them. They so far believe their child will never return home."

"Person was an only child and they aren't planning on returning home," Sora told Kirai the back story. She gave him a smile, "And besides..let's say they betrayed their only friend when they arrived and ended up killing and taking away some of that person's allies."

Kirai sighed in annoyance. "What fucking ever, go kill things, have fun." He was honestly getting tired of everyone wanting blood around here. Could anyone go a week without killing someone? It was quite ridiculous in his eyes.

"I'm not going to try and stop you anymore cause it's useless anyways, but Artemis will kill me if he finds out that I let you go." He wondered what he could do. Alex sighed, "After all this time of no longer using your assassinations you go right back to the old ways...sometimes I wonder if they ever fucked up this clone. I mean you got what you wanted..but do you honestly think killing them would be best?," asked Alex.

Sora gave them a look, "Kill them? What the hell? We were only going to report them in as the run away to get rid of them..but killing is another way too," Sora said calmly.


	30. After Battle 30

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty**

**A very disruptive night**

Kirai stared at her. "Oh my god," he sighed. "Why in god's name did you not say that before we got all worked up over it?"

Sora blinked at them, "Because you always assume I'm going to kill someone and its kinda fun seeing you panic," Sora laughed. Kirai looked at her with a blank expression. "Cloud is rubbing off on you."

"No he isn't..I'm rubbing off on him he's just jealous of my awesome skills," said Sora. Kirai laughed. "As much as I hate to defend Cloud in any way, I have to disagree with that statement."

"Pssh he just wishes he was rubbing off on me," Sora said to him, she looked over her shoulder and saw one of the glow sticks up ahead that belonged to her group.

"Looks like they found the kid," said Sora.

"Y'know I've wondered this for a while, but why exactly do you have a gang in the first place?" Kirai asked, knowing the answer probably wasn't going to be good.

"So I can have something to help me patrol for anyone on our territory..and because its where I learned half of my defense," said Sora. "And how exactly did you become their leader despite you appearing to be younger than pretty much everyone?" Kirai asked.

"Well uhhhh...You see..I don't remember. The only thing I can remember was getting sent to fight the first leader and the rest is all a blank," Sora explained to him. "Interesting." Kirai wondered why they all seemed to have random moment of their lives which they couldn't remember. Probably just a coincidence.

"So you're not killing him? And we can go home without worrying that you're going to die?"

"How is that interesting?."

Sora was confused by him but had to shake it off and remember her original plan.

"No I am not. Yes you can go home."

"But Kirai, Artemis told us not to come home without her," Alex reminded him. Kirai sighed when he was reminded of what Artemis had said. "Damn.. but she's not gonna come backk..," he whined. "Artemis has to know that she wouldn't listen to me anyway. I mean really."

"Well then how about you go back and tell him and I'll stay with her then," suggested Alex. He wasn't letting Sora run around with her gang at night all alone just to send someone home. "Fabulous plan," he agreed with a nod. "Don't kill yourselves," Kirai said to them as he turned to head back to the house.

"We won't..now go tell him and try not to get pinned to the wall by him," Alex called back to him.

Sora watched him leave then started to walk away leaving Alex behind, "Hey wait up."

"I doubt that I'll be successful in doing that," he replied.

Kirai sighed when he walked inside the house. Thankfully Artemis wasn't there to yell at him and both Cloud and Lilly had passed out. They hadn't assigned rooms yet. Oh well.

He walked into the first one he saw- well, actually, the second, because the first was locked- and collapsed onto the bed. Artemis sighed and came back an hour after Kirai had returned and looked around when he saw Lilly and Cloud asleep. He shook his head and shook Cloud on his shoulder a bit, "Hey, wake up," he said.

Cloud blinked his eyes open and upon seeing Artemis, grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him lazily. "Why the fuck did you wake me up," he grumbled. Artemis laughed as he stopped the pillow before it hit him in the face. "I just thought you may have wanted to sleep in an actual bed unless you like the chair like your dog over there," teased Artemis.

"Whaat? I actually get a room?" Cloud asked sarcastically, looking up at Artemis with half-closed eyes. "I thought I was still sleeping in the attic," he joked.

"Well thats not cleaned yet..and you can sleep down here if you want still," shrugged Artemis as he tossed the pillow back to Cloud. "Has anyone come back yet?"

"Naw Lilly and Prism cleaned errything. I just don't feel like moving," Cloud said sleepily, closing his eyes again and staying just awake enough to answer his questions. His knife was curled in his fingers like some sort of lethal teddy bear. "Yeah I think Kirai did," he mumbled. Artemis laughed a bit and just shook his head at him. "Well suit yourself then," he said to him. Artemis then went straight upstairs to find Kirai asleep and poked him.

In response, Kirai simply rolled over and ducked his head underneath the blanket. "Go awaaaaay," he whined. "Im asleeep. Go mess with Cloud."

"Where. The hell. Is Sora?!," demanded Artemis as he pushed Kirai out of the bed and onto the floor.

"Jesus calm the fuck down!" Kirai said with pain, rubbing the back of his head but staying on the floor due to his lack of energy. "She's with Alex doing something or other. And just so you know I don't give a flying fuck how much you yell at me," he informed the other. Artemis gave him a smirk, "Alright then..you can go sleep in the attic tonight then," Artemis said with annoyance, "Get your ass up that attic now before I make you sleep in a hole."

Kirai opened one eye and looked up at Artemis incredulously. "No," he said firmly. "I am staying right here on this floor."

Artemis gave a look, "Oh no?," he mocked back and he grabbed a roll of duct tape from his pocket and started to unroll it. "You won't have much say in the matter."

Kirai opened his other eye, starting to get concerned. Was he serious? And why did he keep duct tape in his pocket?!

But he wasn't about to move and he wasn't going to test Artemis any further either. "Cloooouuuddd..," he called, probably too quietly for him to hear.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU TWO IMBECILES WANT?" was the shouted reply from the living room.

"Artemis is threatening me with duct taaapee.."

"Good, then maybe you'll SHUT THE FUCK UP."

"Then its settled then..duct tape it is and into the attic you go now small child," said Artemis as he started to walk towards Kirai with the duct tape in hand. Artemis was serious about sending him into the attic tied up in duct tape.

One moment Kirai was struggling to get away and the next he was in attic in duct tape like a burrito. "You aren't allowed out until morning!, "Artemis shouted and slammed the door shut. Cloud nearly died laughing his ass off when he heard that door slam. "Oh my god you were serious," he choked out through the laughter.

"Please take a picture. That will make my entire life complete."

Artemis came walking back down the stairs and threw the tape aside and had the key in his hand.

"I never fuck around when I send someone up there..I'm dead serious I've sent Sora up there tons of times before," said Artemis. "That, sir, is fabulous," Cloud said, still smiling from the thought of how much Kirai was probably freaking out. "But you also suck because now I'm really awake."

"Well he asked for it..and if your awake now how about I make some food?," suggested Artemis with a calm voice. Calmer then it had been with Kirai. Cloud thought about that idea and realized that yes, he was hungry, and no, he could not remember the last time he'd eaten. Food was probably a very good idea. He nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

Cloud nodded and sat up, wondering how an hour of sleep could take away all his tiredness. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm pretty sure that shampoo was meant for girls. I smell like a strawberry."

Artemis looked at him and laughed, "Lilly must have given you her shampoo by accident, you chose the mountain breeze one remember?," Artemis reminded him. Artemis went into the kitchen and started to go make the food.

"Ahh man." Cloud sighed and glared up at his hair, part of which was obstructing his vision. "I don't know how girls can take this; it's already driving me crazy."

Artemis heard Cloud from the kitchen and laughed his ass off. "Hey why not wake up Lilly and tell her food is almost ready and ask her that question while you're at it too," Artemis called.

Sora came back to the house covered in cuts and bruises by the time Cloud had started to complain about strawberries. Alex couldn't believe what had ended up happening instead. Sora's original plan had taken a turn for the worse, she was even covered in blood on her hands, some was on her face and splattered on her shirt.

Cloud lazily walked over to the couch that Lilly resided on and poked her repetitively. "Hey wakeupppppp."

Prism walked inside the house, thankful that it wasn't as cold in here as it was outside, and very confused at everyone, especially Sora. "What happened to you?"

Primrose raced downstairs, an annoyed look on her face. "Why is Kirai locked in a closet? He keeps kicking the goddamn wall."

Lilly rolled over and looked at him sleepily,"Whyyyyyyyy?," she whined.

Sora looked up at Prism, "My original plan went wrong and may have taken a turn for the worse," she told Prism. Alex nodded, "I saw it happen and there was nothing I could do since she wouldn't let me help."

Artemis was coming out of the kitchen and wash drying his hands on a towel, "I locked him in there for being an idiot."

"Because everyone's here and now stuff is happening," Cloud told her, not seizing his poking. "Get uupppp."

Prism tilted her head at Sora curiously. "And what the hell was your original plan?"

Primrose looked over at Artemis. "Well can you make him be quiet?" she asked sweetly. "I don't waaannnnaaaa,"Lilly complained as she tried to curl back up under the blanket and hide away.

"To return someone home...but they ended up fighting me in the end and the fight went too far on their part...as for you Alex you were the one who got captured and who's life was in danger that moment with four guns pointed at you and two knives at your throat," Sora snapped at him.

Artemis laughed, "We can ignored him he's tied in duct tape anyways and he can't keep it up all night."

"Yes you dooooo," Cloud argued, pulling on her hair a little in an effort to get her up.

"That's whatcha get for running away again," Prism teased.

Primrose shook her head. "I wouldn't doubt him. He's been at it since you threw him in there."

"Lilly does not appreciate this hair pulling Cloud," said Lilly as she sat up and glared at him with tired eyes.

"Hey! Let's see you try and save two lives at the same time and only save one in time before the other took the fall for their own mistake! I was sending that kid home he fucked up his plan and got killed I couldn't save his life in time!," Sora snapped back. Alex stepped away from Sora a few inches.

"Not unless I send Cloud in there to torment him," said Artemis calmly. "Cloud does not appreciate this continuing to lay down Lilly," Cloud said back, sticking his tongue out at her childishly and giving her hair another small tug.

Prism laughed quietly at Sora's reaction. "Relax dear, I was kidding."

"What about Cloud?" said teenager piped up upon hearing his name. Lilly threw a pillow in his face and just sat next to him and the took better advantage of this and snuggled to him.

Sora growled up at Prism with a glare. Alex walked over to Sora and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Let's get that blood off your hands."

"No point...his blood was mine to start from like he said.."

"I'll send you up to Kirai if he won't shut the hell up," said Artemis with a sly smirk. "At least you're awake," Cloud sighed, allowing himself to be snuggled.

Prism did a little wave at Sora when she was glared at, just to drive her a little more crazy. It was Cloud's job to annoy Kirai, and her job to annoy Sora. That was the system.

Cloud glared over at Artemis. "NO. You are not. Plus do you really think putting me and Kirai in an enclosed space together is the best idea?"


	31. After Battle 31

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-one**

**Telling a story and Kirai trapped in the attic**

Lilly just pouted and stayed close to Cloud for the moment while she watched what was happening.

Sora fought the urge to tackle Prism to the ground and hold Alex's knife to her throat. Alex made sure to lead Sora to the sink in the kitchen and wipe the blood off of her.

"It's the only way to shut him up..unless I duct tape him on the ceiling," said Artemis.

"I think if you just threatened to put me in there he would shut up. Cause he would not enjoy me being in that closet with him," Cloud told Artemis. He twirled the strand of Lilly's hair that he was still holding. "Good point..now as for food," Artemis said as he looked at them all.

Lilly looked at Cloud and yawned, "I just wanna sleeeeeeeeeep," she complained. "Food?" Cloud was once again painfully reminded of how much he needed to eat. He looked down at Lilly and poked her lightly on the nose. "Shush. I don't wanna be awake either but things are happening."

"Yes. Food, that stuff you eat in order to live," teased Artemis as he threw the towel at him.

Lilly rolled her eyes, "But you didn't go hunting all night long now did you?," asked Lilly with a sigh. "I know what it iiiss," Cloud replied, promptly throwing the towel back at him. "Don't throw things. It's dangerous, young man."

"No but I did wander aimlessly around the city with Kirai for like an hour," he responded to Lilly, patting her on the head. "And that is very energy-draining."

"Yeah right. Says the one who throws knives all over the place like an idiot all the time," Artemis said to him with a smirk.

"But that's not the same as hunting down your target and trying to chase them down or keep attacking them with claws and fangs to try and kill them. You have to be more silent then you are Cloud," Lilly grumbled. "Hey, I throw knives responsibly, thankyouverymuch," Cloud responded, sticking his tongue out at Artemis like he had to Lilly mere moments ago.

"Well y'know what. You're awake anyway so be quiet," Cloud said, poking Lilly despite the inevitable consequences. Lilly looked at Cloud and growled her ice blue eyes were already visible now in her frustration with lack of sleep and being woken up many times already.

"Uh-huh..anyways let's get some food for you all," said Artemis.

"None for me thanks," Sora said quickly as she walked past everyone and went upstairs she unlocked the door to her room and slammed it shut.

"She's mad."

Cloud got slightly worried upon seeing the look in her eyes. He didn't say any of the witty comments he had just involuntarily thought of in order to protect his own well being.

Prism looked at Sora's door curiously. "Why?"

"Oh I wonder why she could possibly be mad," Cloud said sarcastically, looking at Prism. "Did you not just hear her little rant? And weren't you the one who was annoying her after it?"

"Shut up."

Artemis came back out with the plates of food and placed them in front of everyone before he glanced at her door. He looked at everyone before taking a deep sigh. He made sure they each got the hint of why she was upset and then decided to share, "I think you all need to know who that kid was then...,"he said to them. He sat down in front of them and made they were paying attention.

"Before I tell you, do any of you have a question about that kid?"

Cloud shook his head, unable to answer properly seeing as he was already munching on the food. Prism did the same.

"Other than who he is, which you are about to tell us, no," she answered him. Artemis nodded.

"Well since some have already started to eat and cannot speak, I'll just get down to explaining who he was. That kid, as weird as this maybe to you all, was one of her first friends, well, he was when he first arrived the first fight he got into was with Sora and was pinned by her in at least twenty minutes within their fight. He said the wrong thing to her and they fought."

"She could've killed him if she wanted but she didn't, instead she admired his strength and he admired her speed and skill, they became a great double team. This all happened while she had been in public school still, they went to the same one and he even told her his story at the same time, although he did want it to be a secret he knew she wouldn't tell anyone since she couldn't go the police at this point anyways," Artemis paused making sure everyone was following the story.

Prism pretended not to see Cloud glare a little bit at the mention of Sora having a friend that wasn't him. Cloud pretended not to notice that she was smiling about it.

Primrose was leaning against the staircase, listening. "Sora didn't want to kill him? And he was somewhat of a threat? Impressive," she said, more to herself than anyone else. Artemis looked up at Primrose and laughed a bit.

"You see, at some time while they were attending the same school, he got into a few fights and was never able to win and she was able to save his ass, he was smaller than the others and was always outnumbered from what Sora had told me. At least four to five would fight him and she would save him."

"But the fights only got worse and less went after him and wanted to take away his little "Guardian" as they called her. But when the fights got worse, her skills got better and more deadly and in which led her to landing many in the hospital and expelled from there. He begged them not to but they wouldn't listen and once she came here to my school, she started to grow distant from him as she got better and her reputation was more known. He was growing upset, she was his first partner in anything and they had always gotten into a lot of fights but he was also jealous."

"This story sounds strangely familiar," Cloud spoke up, taking a break from eating to point something out. "Sora protecting someone she really didn't have to? Killing a lot of people for someone? Can you say Kirai?"

"Yeah but they didn't grow apart," Prism pointed out. "And plus he has like nothing to do with this."

"Yes they did. Don't you remember when I found that watch and Kirai like flipped his shit and wouldn't talk to her? And plus it's still weird that she protects a lot of people. That's been the thing her whole life, she's always fighting for someone."

Primrose looked at Cloud blankly. "Stop overanalyzing this. This is a story, be quiet."

"Well since Cloud likes to over analyze the story. Yes, it's familiar to everything that has happened so far and each one is close to the other. But he was a run away and they were partners and still knew very little about each other. Sora never told him a word of what happened to many of those kids afterwards because he didn't know she killed them more than half the time since he was always shoved into the bushes."

"Yes Kirai flipped when he saw the watch but she was oddly different after that. I understand it's weird that she protects everyone. But you have to remember she had killed many and was an assassin at some point, she was the top ace assassin, and she even killed her own partner when assigned one as an assassin. She regrets that all."

"If no one will fight for them and protect them, then who will? Cloud, you and Prism were once murderers and at some point Sora thought she would go after you both but she decided she wasn't ready to do that three years ago. You two should at least know some of that pain she has carried for so long now...She carried the heaviest on her shoulders to this very day, people she trusted the most, were ones she ended up having to kill."

Artemis made sure to point out that at some point when he had been training Sora at a young age she had killed many of her friends when she had gotten older because of the fact they tried to take advantage of her skills. They wanted her to try and take out people they didn't like at their school and because they all ended up at some point betraying her in the end by trying to take her life.

Cloud and Prism looked at each other. "Well, kinda, I suppose.."

"But we're different because generally we killed strangers," Prism said.

Cloud shrugged. "We never had emotional attachment to them."

"Except for with Sora because Cloud went batshit crazy."

"And Prism didn't stop me."

"Like I could've."

"Maybe if you would've taken the goddamn medication-"

"NO. None of that." Primrose glared at the two of them. "Quit getting off topic."

"Someone's grumpy."

"Someone's tired as fuck because SOMEONE WON'T STOP KICKING THE FUCKING WALL," she yelled, hoping that Kirai would hear upstairs.

"MAYBE IF YOU WOULD LET ME OUT I WOULD STOP," was the faint reply. "Both of you two knock it off. Cloud wasn't thinking about what would happen in the end, and you should've done as you were told. You go sleep in my room its down stairs anyways."

"NOT HAPPENING BECAUSE IF I COME UP THERE THE NEXT THING THAT WILL HAPPEN IS YOU BEING YOUR MOUTH DUCT TAPED AND DANGLING YOU FROM THE ROOF OUTSIDE LIKE A CATERPILLAR!,"Artemis shouted back up the stairs.

"Now back to the story. The kid was jealous, very jealous because while at the new school she had gotten better than him and starting to ignore him. He was more jealous of her new group of friends who were stronger than him and who would not let him talk to her when he saw them. When he saw her with me once he ran over to her, but she smirked and ended up shoving him into the road and almost got hit by several cars."

"Yaaaay." Primrose rushed downstairs before Kirai's response to Artemis could be heard.

"YOU ARE SUCH AN ASSHOLE."

"AND I AM A BIGGER ASSHOLE, SO HOW ABOUT YOU SHUT UP BEFORE I GO UP THERE AND INTRODUCE YOUR FACE TO MY KNIFE," Cloud shouted up to him.

Kirai did not respond.

"This isn't the same kid that she was fighting that one time, like right after Cloud died, and I had to pretend to beat the shit out of Kirai so she'd stop, is it?" Prism asked. She always wondered who that kid had been. "YOU'LL FIND OUT WHAT AN ASSHOLE I CAN BE IF YOU DON; T KNOCK IT OFF I COULD ALWAYS FEED YOU TO LILLY'S WOLVES!"

Artemis turned back to Prism and looked at her with slight hesitance before answering her. "It was actually..he didn't go to our school he was able to get on campus by sneaking here and acting like he went here, he was escorted off of campus."

Artemis looked away for a moment as he thought about it, "It was that one kid when he wanted revenge for what almost happened, that was never his brother by the way."

"BUT YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT CAUSE SORA WOULD KILL YOU, AND THEN CLOUD WOULD ANNOY YOU MORE CAUSE HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PISS ME OFF, AND THEN YOU'D-"

"WE GET IT DUMBASS, SHUT THE FUCK UP," Prism yelled at him. She looked back at Artemis. "She was really into that fight.."

"Well he's dead now so," Cloud said plainly. Prism shook her head at him. "Wow."

"NOT UNLESS I MAKE SURE YOU MOVE TO ALASKA!"

"She was very much into that fight. You see, when she had made it officially clear she wanted nothing to do with him he went into an anger where he wanted nothing but revenge on a girl he had thought was a friend."

Artemis threw the towel at Cloud's face again, "But even though they hated each other more than anything else she did not want to kill him even in that fight she may have been driven by it. She did not want him dead."

Cloud kept the towel next to him so Artemis wouldn't be able to throw it at him again. "Why not? I mean he wasn't exactly being very nice.."

"Just because someone pisses you off doesn't mean you have to kill them.." Prism glanced at him. Cloud glared at her. "Are you finished directing comments regarding murdering on a whim at me? Yes, I fucked up, the entire world knows, congratu-fucking-lations for pointing it out at least three times today," he snapped at her.

"Are you both really going to bring that up? You must realize that it's still difficult for Sora to not have her parents. After so many years she has not once stopped begging for them. But she is still forgiving Cloud slowly; she's still trying to forgive Prism for holding her down that day. You each played a part so you both must take a part of the blame," Artemis reminded them both.


	32. After Battle 32

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-two**

**Artemis's mistake**

Cloud glared over at Prism. "Yeah. So shut up."

Prism looked down at the floor. "I don't even remember that day..," she whispered.

"Count yourself fucking lucky," Cloud mumbled, cutting off the fuzz of the towel with his knife and letting it flutter to the floor. "Even if you may not remember it, you were still a part of that so you still hold half the blame for what happened. You each played a part, and you two are half the reason to why Sora would rather protect then take a life," Artemis told them.

Artemis was about to explain more when Sora's door opened again and she walked down the hall to the bathroom with clothes in hand. She still had that look in her eyes and made no notice of them downstairs talking. Cloud and Prism looked at each other again, silently wondering if she had been listening to their conversation before. That probably would've made her even more pissed.

"I'm surprised she hasn't let Kirai out yet," Cloud said quietly. He expected that to be the first thing she'd have done. "Would you want him to see her in that condition?," Artemis asked him with curiosity.

He could hear the water start running in the bathtub and the door get locked from the inside, "I just hope she won't dwell on this too much," said Artemis. "Not really, but she'd probably calm down upon seeing him in distress over her," Cloud said with a shrug.

"She probably will.. unless something equally frustrating happens and she forgets about it.. which it seems like something always does," Prism sighed.

"I guess...Cloud you go get Kirai and let him out for now..as for Sora..well let's just let Kirai deal with it," said Artemis. He heard the water stop for now and sighed.

"Let's hope it's the second option, if she dwells on this for too long she may not focus tomorrow when we go to register you guys," said Artemis.

"I don't wanna let him out," Cloud grumbled, standing up anyway and trudging upstairs. "He's easier to deal with in a confined space."

After a few minutes, Cloud came back downstairs with Kirai glaring behind him.

"Looks like Kirai just came out of the closet," Prism joked.

Kirai shot her a glare. "Hilarious."

"Both of you shut up. Now who wants to go tell Sora she's needs to come and eat?," asked Artemis.

Lilly shook her head and instead of staying as a person she turned into her wolf and hopped off the couch and onto the floor to go and lay down on the rug.

Alex shook his head too, "No way nuh huh."

"I volunteer Kirai!" Cloud and Prism announced in unison.

Kirai looked at the other two. "No," he said firmly. "I have been locked in a closet for an hour. YOU can go tell her to eat," he grumbled.

Cloud looked at him blankly. "Alright then. I volunteer Artemis!"

"Yeah, you're her brother. You do it," Kirai said with another glare.

"She won't listen to me this time, I've tried many times but when she's like after someone, decided lets tease for that death accident. She will ignore me more entirely," said Artemis. He gave Kirai a look, "No food for you then."

Kirai shrugged. "I'm not hungry anyway."

"If I do it she'll throw something at me, and probably injure me in some way, that's inevitable." Cloud looked at Prism.

His twin shook her head. "No."

"You're the only one left."

"Nuh uh, Lilly."

"She's a wolf!"

"So?"

"So how is she going to communicate?"

"That's not my problem is it?"

Artemis couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Two former-ish muderous twins. One kid who has hidden power. One who was an experiment agent. One made into a killer assassin like Sora. And one fresh from their training. Yet you're all scared? What exactly happened to you all? Just months ago you were all ready to kill each other, you were all at each other's throat practically holding a knife and now Sora is upset and you all get scared? You do remember she's more upset and not angry right?," asked Artemis. He looked at all of them with a skeptical look, "She has never listened to me so why would she start now?"

Each of the others looked at one another, surprised and silenced by Artemis's words. Cloud was the first to break the silence.

"What about you? You're like the smartest person in the fucking universe and your skills pretty much match Sora's. Yet your sister doesn't take your advice seriously and you're doing nothing about it. None of us are scared of her, per say, more like we just don't want to face her. Personally I don't want to because every time I go talk to Sora I end up crying like a fucking two year old who just had their cookie stolen."

Prism twirled her hair. "I wouldn't be able to convince her to do anything after annoying the shit out of her like that."

"And I just get the feeling that she's a bit pissed off at me for some reason," Kirai said quietly.

Cloud shrugged. "I'll go do it if nobody else is."

"Oh please even if I did kick her ass what would that do exactly? Just because our skills are matched doesn't mean she won't fight back harder and it will end up as a Shooter fight in the end and her either on the ground bleeding again, or in the infirmary at school again. And since she never listens I can't tell her not to do something since I'm not exactly a good role model myself," said Artemis.

Artemis gave it another sigh, he couldn't believe they were wimping out because Cloud was afraid to even look at Sora now, and Prism just felt bad. Kirai always thought she was mad at him.

"Kirai, she's not mad at you for any reason at all," said Artemis. "HAH. Not a good role model my ass," Cloud mumbled to himself.

Prism looked at Kirai. "Yeah. You need to stop being so insecure about people not liking you. Cloud had only just met you and he went out of his way just so he could watch you sit there in pain. I've lived with Cloud for a lot of years and he has never done that."

Kirai fidgeted with his sleeve. "Well it's just kinda hard not to worry about if she's mad when it seems like every two seconds she's switching sides and doesn't remember me. And also wants to kill me."

"Well you can blame her for that. But you have to remember since now she's got every ounce of memory back except for attacking you as Red Rock Shooter your fine. Besides, those memories are still coming back slowly and she's still sorting them and you can blame me for the blocking those part, since it is mostly my fault. But other than that she loves you all the same she just...has more emotional moments that send her out of control," said Artemis.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small chain, and tossed it to Kirai, it was the chain that had been found as the first clue from the first day they met.

"She had intended to give you that..well since she added a charm at the bottom anyways when she got bored," said Artemis. Kirai caught it and stared at the chain. "Whoa.." That had been so long ago. When he had been scared to even talk to her, yet he had followed her around school anyway. Why had Sora kept that?

Prism looked slightly irritated. "Everyone has a memory bracelet from Sora now," she said.

Cloud looked at her and smirked. "Jealous?"

"No."

"Besides it's just me and Cloud."

"Hmmm.. maybe Primrose was right when she said you two were alike..," Prism thought aloud, looking at the two boys.

Kirai and Cloud looked at each other and shook their heads.

"No."

"Not even."

"Well..Sora had been working on some things back at the base awhile back..but I have no idea what they were she kept them in some pouch that she should still have with her," said Alex.

Artemis was about to say something else when the bathroom door opened again and Sora walked out carrying her clothes while she was in another set of clothes and was drying her hair off with her free hand. She went to her room and put the clothes away and then came back out. She was still drying her hair when she jumped over the railing of the top of the stairs and landed a few inches from them and walked to the other room downstairs.

"There you go Prism, maybe that's your-"

Cloud stopped talking when he heard Sora land on the floor. That was an impressive jump.

He decided to speak up since no one else was. "Sora?"

Sora stopped walking and turned around and looked at him calmly but with slightly lost eyes, "Yeah?"

"I'll be right back guys..I need to go work on something," said Artemis as he left to his secret room with his chemicals. Cloud thought something seemed off about her. What was he supposed to ask again? In all their arguing he'd forgotten the actual point of talking to her. "You okay?"

That seemed like a nice place to start. Sora looked at him for moment. She stayed silent and said nothing to him for awhile.

"..sure..," was her response to him as she rubbed her hair again with the towel. Cloud tilted his head at her. Prism spoke before he could. "You should stay out here and try to feel better."

"And also Artemis wants you to eat something," Kirai told her, remembering the original topic. Cloud looked around. "Where exactly did he go anyway? I don't think there's even a room in the direction he went in..," he wondered. Sora looked at Prism and just gave a nod. Sora walked over to Kirai and just sat down next to him silent and stared at the floor.

"He's probably in a hidden room if he's got one," said Alex. Kirai looked at Sora, feeling sad for her. It couldn't have been fun, what happened tonight. He wished she'd have listened to him when he told her not to go after anyone. "Hey.. don't think about that okay? It's over with," he said quietly.

Cloud nodded, thinking. "Ah. Of course he would have a secret room.."

Sora looked at him before she leaned on him letting her head rest on his shoulder and getting his shirt wet from her hair. Alex wax about to say something when a door opened up from an explosion.

"FUCK!"

Prism nearly jumped a foot into the air, having been lost in her thoughts when the noise resonated throughout the house. "What in the shit was that?!"

Kirai blinked. "Well. Whatever he went to work on apparently didn't go down well."

Sora rushed to her feet and quickly kicked down the door where the smoke was coming from and waited a moment. She rushed around to open windows and as she was doing that someone came from the smoke coughing.


	33. After Battle 33

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-three**

**Artemis's experiment gone wrong **

"Well that obviously didn't go well," said a girl's voice with slight coughs in between. "Who was that?" Cloud asked, confused. That didn't sound like anyone he'd heard before. Did Artemis go and create another person in there or something?

He hadn't turned around yet so he hadn't seen what had happened.

Prism looked like she'd just seen the ghosts of Sora's parents. But she was also smiling. "Oh my god."

Kirai was just staring, expressionless.

"What the fuck are you guys-"

Prism shook her head. "No Cloud don't look." She knew what her brother's reaction would be like.

Cloud stopped, halfway turned around in his seat on the couch. "..why..?"

Kirai shook his head as well. "Just. No."

Sora turned around and fell backwards when she saw what they were seeing; she couldn't even speak as she sat on the ground. Alex couldn't believe it, what he was seeing just scary, he quickly made sure his eyes were open by rubbing them a few times before he at last said something, "I don't believe it."

In a few moments the smoke finally cleared all the way and all who they could see was a girl with long black hair standing in front of them coughing. She looked up around at them and saw how confused they were, "What's the matter?"

"Okay well I have to look eventually-"

Cloud froze. Prism sighed. She stared at her brother and upon realizing that he hadn't moved since seeing her, got up and poked him in the cheek.

He just blinked.

So she drew back and slapped him, hard.

"OW WHAT THE FUCK PRISM?!" Cloud shouted at her, rubbing his cheek but not looking away from Artemis- or, whoever that was.

"Stop that!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"I know what you're doing in that twisted head of yours! You have a girlfriend you dumbfuck!"

Cloud turned to look at Prism with wide eyes, successfully mortified. "Wh..what...what did you even think I was thinking?!"

Prism looked at him blankly. "Sora's right there I don't think you want me to answer that."

Sora got to her feet and quickly rushed out the front door of the house and ran outside in a hurry.

"Kirai go make sure she stays out of trouble and that she's okay, she's more likely to explain to you why she ran out," said Alex as she pushed Kirai out the door.

The girl looked around at everyone,"...What's everyone staring at? Is something on my face?," she asked everyone. Kirai was extremely confused but followed Alex's instructions, running after her. "Sora waait!"

Cloud and Prism stopped arguing when they heard her speak again, the younger of the two still rubbing where he'd been slapped.

"Uhh.. I guess you could say that..," Prism said with a weak smile.

Shaking his head, Cloud sighed. "Dude you're.. not.. um.. ohmygod.."

Sora rushed down the streets and stopped when she reached the end of her street and shouted.

"What the hell did I do to deserve for this?!"

The girl looked at them extremely confused, "What? Did I get some chemicals on me from the explosion; they should come out if it's not ten of them. Or is there something else wrong? Someone tell me what the hell is everyone staring at," sighed the girl. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for an answer.

Kirai stopped a few steps away from her and remained confused. He took a couple steps towards her, afraid of getting too close. "What are you talking about?" he asked carefully. "What's wrong?"

Cloud just shook his head. "Nooope. None...none of that..," he was still staring at her in disbelief and something about his eyes made him look like he wasn't paying attention.

"Go look.. in a mirror.. or something..," he suggested, tilting his head a little. How do you go about telling someone that they've just switched genders?

Sora turned a bit.

"No. How could one experiment go wrong?! And he had to end up into a girl..a girl of all things?! He had to be a girl and look exactly like my mother!"

The girl gave him a cold stare before rolling her eyes. "Fine. I'll go look, but I swear if you're messing with me I'll kick your ass," she said and slightly ran up the stairs to the bathroom.

It was silent for a few seconds before they heard her scream, "What the hell happened to me?! How did this even happen?!,"she screamed. She came running back down the stairs and ended up tripping since she was still in boy's clothes that were big on her and as she fell she ended up falling onto Cloud's lap.

"Someone explain this to me!"

And then Kirai wasn't very confused anymore.

What was he supposed to say?

He didn't step forward again like he'd intended to before discovering why Sora was upset. "God Sora..I'm..sorry..," he said, knowing that it wouldn't help.

Prism couldn't help but burst into laughter when she fell onto Cloud. No scenario would've been more perfect.

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut, wondering why she chose not to move. Why would you not move? It's obvious, if you accidentally land in someone's lap, you move. Especially if you have kissed that person before.

"Y-you're the one who did it," Prism said through giggles. "You should be explaining.. and you might wanna get off of Cloud before he implodes," she said with a small smirk. Sora looked at him and didn't move, she felt numb again. She refused to move or say another word.

"How the fuck should I know this happened when I didn't even know it happened?," she asked with a deadpanned voice in annoyance as she started to sit up carefully making sure she slipped off of him in the clothes.

"Well then...what the fuck am I supposed to wear? I have nothing that this tiny thing you call a body can fit! Hell I just slipped and fell onto this one," she said pointing to Cloud and was still slightly sitting on him still.

"And why would you implode?," she asked innocently.

Kirai's worry grew increasingly more intense when she didn't say anything. Not this again. "Sora?" He walked towards her.

Prism laughed. "You live in a house with three other girls, someone's clothes will fit you," she assured her.

Cloud glared at her the best he could while he was blushing slightly and sighed, irritated. "Why the fuck do you think," he asked, his voice cracking, much to his annoyance. "It's pretty goddamn obvious. Hell I even fucking told you I- nevermind.."

"Hm?," was all Sora's reacting when she heard his voice again and focused a bit. She saw him come towards her and flinched when she was him walk a bit, she didn't know why she flinched.

She glared at Prism, "Thats not the point..the point is...why the fuck do I wanna wear their clothes when every time I need to change I would have to raid your closest?," she deadpanned pointing an obvious girl problem with clothes.

She then turned back to Cloud, "Geez all you had to do was ask for me to get off," she said as she got up and sighed. "I can't let Primrose see me like this..and I'm not sleeping in my bed tonight then either..someone kill me," she sighed.

Kirai immediately stopped walking when he saw her flinch like that. He wasn't about to go scaring her while she was already freaked out. He looked at her carefully, trying to see if she was alright.

Obviously she wasn't, but it didn't stop him from looking.

Prism shrugged. "You could always keep wearing that, but you'll be falling a lot. I'm sure Cloud would like that-"

"STOP-"

"Sh."

Prism looked at Cloud with a hint of evil in her eyes when she mentioned not sleeping in her own bed.

"NO PRISM NO. That is the worst thought you have ever have and it wouldn't even.. no. Stop," Cloud said, shaking his head frantically.

Sora looked back at him with slight calmed eyes but still didn't move towards him yet. She was freaked and still couldn't even believe what she had seen.

"I need to sleep somewhere and no way in hell am I staying in these clothes forever..I need clothes that will fit and where I won't have to raid your closets all the damned time," she shouted.

"And how do I explain what my name is when I go to register you guys tomorrow?," she asked them.

"Sora I know that it's..weird.. but you gotta go back sometime right?" Kirai asked slowly.

"You could sleep with-"

"Prism I swear if you finish that sentence-"

"...Cloud-"

"NO." Cloud picked up the nearest object, which thankfully wasn't his knife this time, but the towel that had been recently tossed at him, and threw it at her. "No. NOOO. That wouldn't even happen if she was still a guy!"

"I don't care. I keep trying until it kills me," she said with a laugh.

"Oh crap.. um. You could use my fake name?" Prism suggested. "Or you could actually still be Artemis, but that wouldn't work if they looked up your files or anything, seeing as they'd discover that you're supposed to be a boy."

Sora nodded to him and she slowly walked towards Kirai.

Artemis grumbled and just sat on the floor and pouted.

"Someone give me a fucking a name and as for you Cloud. Since it's the only way to hide it from Primrose I'll stay in your room anyways unless you want the attic instead?"

Kirai remained where he was, just to be careful.

Cloud groaned in annoyance. "That's the worst choice ever! I don't wanna sleep in the attic.. it's probably all creepy up there," he grumbled.

"Then you get to sleep with your dearest Artemis. I mean.. uh.. Harmony?" Prism looked at Cloud and smiled.

"Are you serious. Can you get more annoying? Why would you choose that name? Why do you even remember that?!"

"She was your only other girlfriend, Cloud."

"We were seven. We held hands in group therapy. That is in no way a relationship."


	34. After Battle 34

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-four**

**Artemis's new trick**

Sora was about to reach out to Kirai when she ended up taking her hand back making herself flinch.

Artemis looked at them for a moment and sighed, "I supposed Harmony it is then...and my only problem is how the fuck am I going to enroll you guys into school if I don't look my age anymore...unless Sora enrolls you all since she looks closer to her age and could enroll us," said Harmony with a moment. she gave it some thought before nodding, "When Sora gets back its time to start getting your clothes set for tomorrow because before we go to the school, were going shopping," she sighed.

Kirai tilted his head slightly at Sora. He hadn't done anything, had he? "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. Was she scared of him or something?

Cloud sighed. Prism and shopping was never a good mix. The one time they'd gone to get clothes, she'd bounced off the walls. He could see the hyperness in her eyes now.

"You will be good or I will hurt you," he threatened.

Prism waved off his threat. "Shush. Anyway how are you going to keep Primrose from seeing you?"

Sora shuffled her foot for a moment, "I can't go back to her..him..that..that thing back there if I go back I'll pin that thing to the floor," she explained.

Harmony rolled her eyes. She had to think of something so Primrose would never find out who he..er who she was. Then Harmony had an idea and looked at everyone with sly smirk.

"I can always say Artemis had to leave for a while and that I was a long lost sister-thats blood related- that he found and called up to leave in charge until he got back," said Harmony with a smile.

Kirai looked around. "Well..then... where are we gonna go? It's like four in the morning."

Cloud didn't think that would work very well. "..alright but you'd better tell her that while she's tired or not paying attention or something.. I think she's smart enough to be skeptical of that."

"And how do we explain why Sora's practically petrified of you?"

"Tree house?," Sora suggested, she really did not want to return home yet to go back and see Artemis as a girl.

"Well I know that much..shes just got to be woken up super early tomorrow since she won't be fully awake in the morning," said Harmony with a slight smile.

"Hell I don't even know why she's petrified of me."

Kirai sighed. "As long as you'll let me fall asleep there that's fine with me," he said, failing to contain a yawn. Kicking a wall in a closet really tires a guy out.

"We should probably go ask Kirai.. but I don't feel like getting up."

Prism rolled her eyes. "You never feel like getting up. Either way I think seeing your brother turn into a girl is scary by itself."

Cloud looked at her and tilted his head. "You do realize that you are the female version of me, correct?"

"..Shut up, I've lived with this."

Sora nodded and started to walk away to go to the park and find a tree house to go sleep in for the rest of the night without seeing that nightmare again either.

"Someone go find them both and bring their asses back here now before I take a knife and make sure one of you end up in a hole to lions and the other at the bottom of the damned ocean," growled Harmony.

Kirai trudged after her, wishing none of this had happened. He probably wouldn't be able to go back to the house for a while now, or at least until Artemis was fixed.

"Looks like your personality didn't change," Cloud whispered. Prism laughed.

"If she ran away do you really think she's going to come back? Plus it's like four a.m., they're not gonna go getting into trouble at this time. Kirai's too tired," he said more audibly.

Sora found a tree house and jumped into the door and inside of the tree house and laid down in the corner.

"Unless you want cake then be nice," Harmony said slyly.

"Yeah but still, somehow Sora will find a way to get in trouble..fine if you two fraidy cats won't go, then I will," said Harmony as she started to head out the door.

"I trust that this is not the tree house of a stranger?" Kirai asked sarcastically, way too tired to care about what would happen if someone found them sleeping in their tree house. He climbed up slowly and leaned against the wall, sliding gracefully down it into a sitting position and closed his eyes.

"Why is it always cake? What if I don't like cake, hm?" Cloud asked, tilting his head at Harmony.

"Good, have fun."

Sora gave him a slight glance before slipping into sleep and curling up on the floor in her corner.

"Because it's not the lie," she said to him.

Harmony sighed and started to walk out the front door and into the night as she went to go and find Sora and Kirai. She just hoped she wouldn't run into trouble herself that night or would she might be at a disadvantage. Cloud was about to respond but she had already walked outside. He looked at Prism when he realized something. "I wonder if this thing lessened hi- her fighting skills at all.."

"And it's dark out and she's a girl and she's alone," Prism pointed out. "Maybe we shouldn't have let him go.. I mean her.."

Harmony just cursed under her breath as she walked around in the dark trying to find Kirai and Sora.

"Where the fuck could they be..and those two idiots didn't even want to help me out to find them..those poo faces," Harmony said to herself. She turned a corner and was about to decide to head down the next corner when she got pinned to a wall by the throat. She quickly wrapped her small hands around her attacker's wrist to try and get free, "F-u-ck."

Cloud and Prism looked at each other for a while, both of their faces showing increasingly worried expressions before Cloud decided to speak up.

"He's gonna get raped isn't she."

"Something like that-" Prism said as she rushed to go find her sword. "Go I'll catch up!"

Cloud obeyed his sister and ran outside, dropping his knife and having to go pick it up again. Which way would she have gone?!

Harmony opened her eyes the best she could but she couldn't see their face. But she could hear them, there had to be at least two but they kept on tightening their grip on her throat cutting off her air supply more every time. She was trying to struggle free and to try and reach back for her knife that she had kept from Alex at the store. When she able to reach it she brought it up while they weren't looking ad stabbed it into their wrist and they dropped her quickly.

Harmony fell back coughing and holding her neck gasping for air.

She glared up at them as they started towards her again; she got to her feet ready to fight. Cloud was still in the spot he had frozen in when Prism arrived next to him.

She slapped him on the head. "Hey asswipe, how about you go save him BEFORE hell freezes over?"

"Well where the fuck did he go?!" her brother asked, looking around.

"I don't know, but going in the opposite direction is still better than standing around doing nothing!" Prism said with another roll of her eyes as she pulled him along, running straight ahead. Harmony was having trouble fighting since her clothes were too big for her and was already bleeding in several areas but she never stopped fighting.

"These assholes are not taking me anywhere," growled Harmony as she wiped blood from the corner her mouth.

"God you're an idiot, someone probably already got her!" Prism yelled at him, full on running now.

"He might be a girl but he can still fight for himself, it's not like they'll take him down that easy!" Cloud argued stopping and dragging his sister to the right when he thought he heard something.

"Is that him over there?" he asked more quietly, not wanting to draw attention if it wasn't who they were looking for.

Prism squinted to try and see better, but to no avail. "I can't tell, but if it is her then she's in trouble.."

"No shit."

Harmony growled at them as they came at her from both sides and she quickly jumped p before they grabbed her. But as she landed not that far from them one swiped their leg under her and knocked her down and quickly rushed her but she kicked them up and over her.

Harmony was fast as she rolled to the side and got to her feet and quickly blocked their attack but lost her footing and was sent into a wall. "Even if it isn't him I don't want whoever that is to die," Cloud said, quickly running over to them.

"Oh so we've gone from murdering to being a fucking superhero?!" Prism asked, dashing to catch up with her brother, and wasting no time in landing a kick to the back of one of the attacker's heads.

He fell to the floor unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Prism was quite sure that she'd pulled a muscle with that stunt.

"Smooth," Cloud laughed as he caught the other attacker off guard with a punch to the stomach, followed by him pulling out a knife and smiling at the larger man in front of him. Harmony didn't see who came from the sky but she took advantage of the distraction and swiped her foot under the man's feet and knocked him to his back and jumped over him and took the knife from him and cut the man dead in his neck.

"Teach you not to mess with me ever again you ass holes."

Cloud was surprised at his knife being taken away from him but didn't mind so much when he saw it was Harmony. "Oh it is him."

"I'm pretty sure I ripped my leg in half," Prism said with a pout. "I'm not as flexible as I made myself out to be."

"Smooth move. I'm not carrying you." Cloud looked at Harmony. "Gimme me knife," he said, holding his hand out.

"Nope, you're not getting it back until we back home where I can look at her leg carefully," said Harmony as she walked away with his knife in her hand. She started to hop the fences. Cloud glared at Harmony, walking after her and looking very unamused. "Artemisss..."

Prism smiled and shook her head. "That isn't her name."

"Well Harmony sure as hell isn't! Get your girly ass over here and give me back my knife!" he yelled, not even bothering to try and jump fences like she was. Harmony stopped walking and waited a minute to turn around and face him again.

'I've always wondered how this works on guys..but I'll try it,' thought Harmony with a smirk to herself. Then she turned around and faced Cloud.

Harmony gave him an innocent look in her eyes; she tilted her head to the left just slightly and made her eyes look up at Cloud sadly. She had her hands small little fists held carefully and sweetly just slightly under her chin, one over the other. She frowned slightly to make it work more and turned her body just slightly to give it the sad look, her body turned just enough to the left and her feet with one in front of the other.

And to make it more believable, she let fake tears run down her face to act like she was crying, "W-why are you yelling at me? W-what did I-I do?," Harmony started crying.

'This is fun,' she thought to herself. Cloud looked at her, very confused and impressed at how fast she had started crying. But he wasn't falling for that. This was still Artemis to him. "No. Stop that. Give it back," he said blankly, but less harshly than before.

Prism wondered how long he could keep it up. Harmony kept trying, she really let the tears fall down her face and tried an even better trick, "You let me come out here alone...and I almost got taken away..and now you're mad at me," She cried.

Harmony let herself drop to her knees and cry still, it wasn't long at that point that some other guys where coming back from the store heard her.

"Hey kid! What did you do to her?!,"one of them shouted.


	35. After Battle 35

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-five**

**Cloud's mistake with Harmony**

Cloud looked up quickly and saw the random guys, swiftly becoming rather nervous. He shook his head. "No, I didn't.. he's-she's not.. ah fuck," he mumbled the last part and dropped to his knees himself so he was eye level with Harmony. "Goddammit Artemis I am gonna kill you when you're a guy again," he grumbled. "Stop crying."

"Cloud, whisper-yelling is not going to make a difference," Prism told him quietly, glancing at the guys. The guys walked over to see what was going on to see Harmony still crying when Cloud tried to stop her from crying,

Harmony kept crying she not only loved this but was having way too much fun at the same time, "But your all mad...it's my fault...w-why w-was I attacked? y-your mad at me now for being a g-girl!,"she cried enjoying the trouble Cloud was in.

"Y-you don't care that I was almost taken away!"

"If I didn't care do you really think I would've came here?!" Cloud whispered, trying not to look at the guys who were now glaring at him. "Come on I know you're faking this and I'm about to get beaten up."

Prism smiled nervously at the strangers and gave them a small wave. "Heh heh.. hello there.. gentlemen.. they're having a bit of an emotional moment, nothing wrong.."

Harmony kept on crying and let the tears continue to fall down her face as she tried to wipe away the tears.

"But you yelled at me!"

The two guys looked at her and then walked forward and behind Cloud, one of them grabbed him by the back collar and lifted him off the ground, "What did you do to her?"

The other guy kneeled in front of Harmony and started to talk to her calmly. Cloud glared at the guy in front of him, only taller because he was now elevated off the ground. Artemis was going to DIE.

"I didn't do anything you infernal dumbass! Who the fuck are you anyway? You can't just come over here and start harassing me because of the way this situation looks! I don't know how chivalrous you think you're being right now but this whole thing is actually pretty fucking stupid!" he snapped, curling his fingers into a fist, and getting even more angry when they didn't squeeze around his knife.

"And god damn it Artemis give me my knife!"

Harmony cried more.

"Hey kid it must be your fault because all were seeing is this girl cry and you seem to be the one to cause her crying since every time you talk to her she cries more. Chivalry? We help anyone in trouble and so far you're the one making her cry..hell you may be the one who gave this sweet girl those cuts," said the first one.

"Who the hell is Artemis? There is no other guy here but us three," said the second one as he looked up from calming Harmony. Cloud stared at the guy in front of him with annoyance. "No. I was not the one who gave her those cuts. It was those dickheads over there who I literally just stopped from hurting her," he said, pointing over to the fallen guys who they'd just walked away from.

"He's...she... uggh. None of your goddamned business."

"Maybe you were the one who told them to do that?"

"Or maybe it's a trick?"

Harmony sat there and cried a bit more as she grabbed onto the second one's sleeve and tugged on it. He looked at her and tried to wipe away the tears still on her face gently. Harmony looked at him calmly with red eyes.

"Why would I even- ah fuck don't touch hii-her!" Cloud all but yelled at the second guy. He wasn't about to put up with that. These were strangers. Seemingly nice strangers, but they didn't know them nonetheless.

"This guy's my little brother and I can assure you guys that he had nothing to do with that. He's a blithering idiot and probably the largest asshole ever but he also cares about this chick too much for his own good," Prism said to the guys, hoping it would convince them that everything was fine and they could go. "If he did hurt her I'd kick his ass."

The first guy looked at Prism and nodded, he let go of Cloud and let him fall to the ground on his ass.

Harmony let the second guy finish cleaning the tears away and talked to her a bit more before he stopped, "There you go, all better," he said to her calmly. Harmony nodded slightly and then looked over at Cloud.

"Well I'll take your word for it, but if we ever see her crying again around town then we'll come back for your help not his," said the first guy. He tapped his friend on the shoulder and they both nodded and left. Cloud remained on the ground, glaring at Harmony the entire time. Only after the guys were long gone did he speak.

"What the ever loving FUCK was that?!" he said fiercely. He stuck out his hand again. "If I don't get my knife back in two seconds I'll give you something real to cry about!"

"Don't listen to him, he doesn't hit girls."

"I've hit you before! And he's not a girl! He is temporarily female-appearing and I refuse to accept the notion that he has been biologically altered, alright?!"

Harmony smiled at him, "It was something fun for me to do to torment you," she laughed at him.

"Go ahead, hit me and let's see who sleeps in the attic with all the scary monsters ,"she said. Harmony crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look, yes Artemis was only a girl for who knows how long but Cloud wanted to have some fun with this.

"Hey Prism go check downtown for me please?," asked Harmony. Prism gave her a skeptical look but then glanced at Cloud, and upon recognizing the look on his face- pissed off beyond belief but hyper from all the excitement- nodded and started to head downtown. "Don't kill each other~"

Cloud stood up and glared down at Harmony. "Knife. Now."

Harmony rolled her eyes at him, she ended up having to reach to her leg for the knife since nowhere else would she be able to hold it, she lifted her pant leg up and grabbed the knife, "You big baby."

Harmony handed him the knife, but the moment her hand was in contact with Cloud's she took the chance to walk forward out of range of the knife.

Before Cloud even knew what happened, Harmony had her lips on his. Cloud squeezed the knife so hard it might've snapped in half if it had been made of anything even slightly less sturdy.

This was gonna happen AGAIN?

Just so he could pretend it never happened in the morning? No.

Cloud dropped the knife and quickly grabbed Harmony by the shoulders, pushing her back and holding her at arms length. He glared at her, but it wasn't as scary as it normally would've been. "Don't.. mess with me."

"Mess with you? Why would I do that? Just because I act like it didn't happen around the others doesn't mean it never happened," said Harmony as she looked at him with calm blue eyes.

"I can't ever get a moment alone with you so how can I ever do this to you?," she questioned him. Cloud stared at her for a second before he dropped his arms and sighed. "I don't know! But you're only doing this because you're a girl now, like three weeks ago you were all calm and shit when I said I liked you and didn't even fucking react and now here you are kissing me agaaaain."

"Not to mention the fact that you still didn't tell me why you did it the first time," he said more calmly. Harmony rolled her eyes, "Fine then," she said and turned around and started to walk off again. "I wasn't doing it because I'm a girl..but whatever and I was going to tell but maybe not anymore," she said. Harmony then jumped over a fence and ran off to find Sora and Kirai again.

Cloud stared at the spot where Harmony had stood for a while before he picked up his knife and walked to the fence that she'd jumped over. He carved an angry line into the post and then hopped over the obstruction, walking at a leisurely pace in the direction she had run off in.

"Congratulations Cloud, on being the biggest idiot to walk the planet," he told himself. He sighed heavily and looked around while he walked. "Can you tell me anyway?" he called out to the darkness. Maybe she'd hear it. Harmony walked ahead ignoring his comment and was furious herself about Cloud trying to question her motives. Even in her anger her blue flame revealed itself on its own again and she ended up glowing a bit from the flame.

"That poo face tried to question me..I'll hit him next time he tries that again," she growled. Cloud made a noise of annoyance and glared up at the sky when the full realization of what he'd just done finally hit him. "What the fuuuuuuuck was that," he said to the moon, which was about to start setting soon.

He got a little worried when he thought he saw a faint glowing ahead of him, but passed it off as a streetlight or something. "Pleeease? What if I explain myself?" he called out again.

Harmony still said nothing to him and growled under her breathe and made her pace a little faster and her flame grew brighter over time. She wasn't happy now and since she was still getting used to the real emotions of being a girl it was driving her insane now.

"Go to hell!"

"I already was anyway," Cloud responded with a bit of a laugh. "Murdering a shitload of people tends to qualify you for that."

He ignored the fact that the glowing had intensified and that streetlamps weren't blue, for his own sanity. "I'm gonna explain myself anyway okaay?"

"What the fuck ever, go ahead I won't care what you say you fucking asshole!," she shouted at him and jumped over another fence and ignoring Cloud following her. She was trying to get away from him at this point since he made her mad. Cloud twirled his knife in his hand nervously. He knew he was probably going the wrong way by this point but he didn't try and change directions. "Well that one night I said I liked you, you acted so casual about it, so I figured you obviously didn't feel the same way.. so when you went and did that I jumped to the conclusion that you were just messing with me.. considering that you had tortured me about four fucking seconds earlier," he told her.

He had tried not to curse in that explanation to show how serious he was being, but let's be honest. He can't keep that up for that long.

Harmony didn't answer as she kept on going and then went to go sit in a tree to try and find Kirai and Sora. The flame was still bright and didn't lose its brightness. Cloud felt a twinge of annoyance when she didn't even acknowledge him. "Hey! At least let me know if you even fucking heard that!" He turned and walked towards the light that was succeeding in making him very curious.

Harmony growled and then threw a branch at him making it sure it almost hit his head.

She then went back to looking around. Cloud stopped in his tracks when the branch flew past him. He stared at it and then in the direction it came from.

He smiled a little. "So I take it you heard?"

Harmony said nothing. She gave a small yawn and shook her head to stay awake. She was not going to speak to him at the moment. Cloud remained quiet and followed the glowing until he was in front of the tree that Harmony was sitting in. He looked up at her. "Hey. If I apologize will you talk to me?"

Harmony still said nothing to him and just looked down at him for a moment with a glare and yawned quickly. Cloud tilted his head a little and smiled weakly up at her. "I'm sorry?" he said hopefully, it sounding more like a question than he'd intended it to. Harmony shook her head at him. She wanted to say something now but she found herself falling asleep in the damned tree, she had not planned on this happening.

Cloud sighed when he realized she'd fallen asleep. He thought about climbing up and sitting next to her, but figured that that wasn't the wisest of plans. Instead he sat down against the tree and closed his eyes, hoping maybe to get a little extra sleep.

Harmony just leaned on the tree and stayed on the branch she was on and fell asleep calmly as the flame slowly died away. Harmony gave another yawn and just fell asleep finally.

Alex was walking around downtown looking for Sora and Kirai when he saw Prism, "You find them?"

Prism was relieved to see someone she knew. She'd been wandering around alone and it had been slightly creepy, it still being dark out. "Nope. I don't think they'd even be this far away from the house. Harmony made me come look down here so she could piss Cloud off," she said with a small sigh.

"Pissing Cloud off is fun..but we've been up all night trying to get everyone to sleep or behave now," sighed Alex. He thought about what Harmony could to do to torment Cloud even more now that she was girl for a while.


	36. After Battle 36

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-six**

**Artemis confesses**

"True."

Prism realized something that she should've awhile ago. "Ohh shit.. I didn't put that together.. maybe we should go find them..," she said more to herself than to Alex, looking around and wondering which direction she'd left from.

"Well let's get going before there's some real bloodshed..I take it something went wrong for awhile?," asked Alex. Prism nodded as she remembered where she came from and started to hurry off in that direction. "She started fake crying to annoy him and these guys came up and hassled him for making her cry.. it was really stupid. But when I left she had his knife.. and that probably didn't lead to anything good," she explained.

"Well what the hell caused him to try the crying trick on Cloud? I wonder how bored Harmony was exactly at the moment she tried that to him," asked Alex. He could only imagine the random stuff that ran through that head of Harmony's with all the smarts she had.

"Eh it's just cause they like each other," Prism said with a shrug. "At least that's what I think. And normally if it involves Cloud, I'm right," she told him, pulling him sharply to the right when she found a street name familiar. Alex almost fell over when she pulled him sharply around the corner down a street.

"I'm not a cat you know!," he said when he tripped. Prism laughed at him and smiled apologetically. "Then follow me more effectively. I got a twin to save."

"Why must we go save him? Isn't he able to save his own ass from a dangerous Harmony that will be on his ass the moment he fucks up?," asked Alex with confusion.

"Yes but I'm more worried about his emotional health than his physical health." Prism was starting to get annoyed with all of these turns she had to make. "I have a feeling he's going to fuck something up between the two of them."

"Since when do his emotions have anything to do with this?," wondered Alex more to himself then her.

"Heh. My train of thought has no conductor, sorry," Prism said, realizing she was thoroughly confusing him. Cloud hadn't told anyone. Duh.

She stopped when she spotted someone sitting against a tree. "Is that him over there?"

"Hell if I know, let's go check anyways," said Alex as he tried to catch his breath before she pulled him along again like a rag doll. He couldn't understand any of the situation or anything for that matter, but he decided it was best to not ask. Prism looked at Alex and smirked. "Tired from running? Do you need a break little one?" she asked teasingly. Her leg was hurting from the kick she'd pulled off but she ignored the pain easily.

Alex gave her a look, "Hey...you make me run like Sora did back at the base...I never got used to that..," panted Alex as he panted for air. Alex couldn't understand why he still wasn't used to running the way Sora did.

"Awh it's okay. You stay here I'm pretty sure he's asleep anyway," Prism said, patting him on the head as she walked over to the mysterious boy.

Upon discovering that it was her brother, she promptly hit him on the head.

Cloud's eyes snapped open and he hit Prism's leg, which was all he could reach, when he saw her. "What the fuck?!"

"Did you piss her off?"

"Kinda, but I think he'll talk to me when he wakes up."

"What'd you do."

"I didn't do shit! He fucking kissed me again!"

Prism's eyes got slightly wider at the news. "Whaaaat?"

Alex sat down on the ground waiting for them to return while he tried to catch his breath for the moment. He was tired and he could already see the sun getting ready to rise now.

Harmony overheard Cloud complain and woke up slightly, "Hm?"

Cloud was halfway through another explanation when he heard Harmony and coughed to cover up the word he'd been stuck on. "Nothing. I found a Prism," he told her, hoping for her to forget that she wasn't talking to him. Harmony rubbed her eyes a bit before looking down and waving a bit. Harmony yawned and was trying to climb off her branch very carefully since she was aware of the fact of how tired she was. But her foot slipped and she ended up landing on Cloud's lap as she came crashing from the tree.

Cloud tensed up once he realized what had just happened. She couldn't have picked a more inconvenient place to fall, could she?

Prism looked at him, amused, and tilted her head to the side, silently asking 'what happened?'

Cloud shrugged, helplessly looking up at the tree for an explanation and not receiving one. He looked down at Harmony. "Uhh.. y-you alright there?"

Harmony blinked a few times to process what had just happened to herself, she was very confused at what just happened. She could have sworn she wasn't that tired to fall out of the tree, apparently she was though.

"Tree you betray me..," she said still sleepy. Cloud looked at Prism and she only laughed. His uncomfortableness was evident and she found it highly amusing. "Cloud, I think the real question is if YOU are alright."

He glared up at her and flipped her off. "Go to hell."

"Will you be there to pick me up?"

Harmony was too sleepy to even bother moving from Cloud's lap at the moment and just leaned her head on him, she gave a yawn.

"Sleepy Harmony is sleepy..," she said softly before she fell asleep on Cloud and used him like he was a comfy pillow.

"Nowaitdon't-"

But she had already fallen asleep.

Cloud sighed. "And now I can't get up."

Prism giggled. "If only he were still a guy, this would be a billion times more adorable."

"Hey, hey Prism? Yeah how about you shut the fuck up?" Cloud said with a fake smile. Harmony snuggled to Cloud like a teddy bear and stayed asleep already ignoring the fact of everyone else there.

Alex saw something like trouble and got to his feet and walked over to them. When he saw what had happened he tried to contain his laughter, "Do we need to get her off of him?...Correction do we have to?"

Prism shook her head. "No~"

"YES," Cloud said quickly.

"Don't listen to him. He knows he loves it."

"No he doesn't!"

Prism looked at him incredulously. "I can see him blushing and it's still dark out. He is enjoying this."

"He has a girlfriend."

"Hah! Like you gave a shit while you were making out with her-"

"NO I STOPPED THAT LIKE RIGHT AFTER IT HAPPENED-"

"Shut uuuup you're gonna wake her up."

"That's the idea!"

Alex looked form one to the other and shaking his head wishing they weren't trying to wake a sleepy Harmony, because if she was the original of Sora then her being woken up moments are the same.

Harmony was waking up again, she opened her eyes and had one of the iciest stares in her eyes that she may have ever had. She lifted her head a bit and then took Cloud's knife so quickly that he didn't notice she had it until after she had gotten off of him and walked away and was two blocks away.

"Wh..Where.."

"She got your-"

"FUCKING KNIFE!" Cloud growled, standing up and running after her. "HEY ASSHAT GET BACK HERE."

Prism shook her head with a smile. "Can't you just feel the love?"

Alex started to laugh his ass off after seeing what had just happened.

Harmony heard Cloud, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, she looked completely scary in the shadows of morning slowly creeping up. Her long hair covered her eyes but still leaving enough to see her eyes and she held the knife up and pointed it at Cloud.

"Get. The fuck. Away," she said very angrily, Harmony was in no mood to be yelled at or even messed with. Cloud glared at her, pretty goddamned tired of her stealing his shit tonight. He was also just tired in general. And still very confused on the gender swap. He pulled a spare knife out of his shoe and pointed it at her. "Give it. The fuck. Back."

"No. You want it. Fight me for it. You have been a pain in the ass for the past few hours because you and Kirai can't get along. And you need to learn to behave," Harmony growled. She was fucking pissed at him for what he had done earlier that night and was making up an excuse for it. Cloud looked at Harmony, severely tired of her being in a mood. "You do realize that for the past few hours Kirai hasn't even talked to me? Or even been near me for fucks sake? For the past few hours I've been with your sorry ass," he said, using the knife to gesture at her.

"And I'm not sure if you've realized, but you're a girl. That means a lot of your strength is gone, and you're about to fight me with a four inch blade. Are you sure that that's a wise decision?" he asked, tilting his head at her.

Harmony's flame let itself blaze on its own and she felt her anger boil to an anger she had never felt before start to rise in her. She tightened her grip on the knife. "For the past few hours?...I've had to deal with you stalking me and not realizing what anything ever meant on your own...you pushed me the fuck away and why did you even stay at my side then?! You could have left at any damn time you wanted you fucking idiot!," Harmony shouted.

"I may be a girl but that doesn't my skills are any less effective."

"Exactly!" Cloud yelled back at her. His hand dropped to his side but he still gripped the spare knife tightly, like his life depended on it.

"That means I didn't fucking want to leave! You think I DIDNT want to shove you against the wall and kiss you until you died?! Cause if you do then I know of a mental hospital that you need to visit! Instead I was trying to protect myself, cause I had no fucking idea why you of all people would even attempt to kiss me. I am so fucking sorry."

"You fucking idiot!,"Harmony screamed back to him at the top of her lungs and she had tears running down her face again, but something about them wasn't suspicious. She looked up at him angrily, "Why?! You always ask why but you never notice it yourself?! It's because I fucking like you! I was always there near you the most then any other person for a reason and you act like you're the one who doesn't care!,"she screamed.

Prism heard the screams and only smiled in the direction of the noises. She looked over her shoulder at Alex. "Told you they like each other."

"I've learned to keep my fucking emotions to myself," Cloud said angrily, quickly pushing his excitement to the side. He didn't yell, but something about the tone of his voice made it seem more powerful than if he had screamed it. "Of course it's going to look like I don't care. I prepared myself for the worst and I had already started to believe it. You really don't realize how much it fucking ripped me to pieces do you?"

Alex just laughed a lot.

Harmony shook her head angrily and let the tears fall down her face. "You fucking ass hole you let me believe you didn't give a fuck?!"

"Only because I thought you didn't either," Cloud said quietly, now realizing that there were tears burning his eyes. He mentally yelled at himself not to cry. He didn't listen. Harmony just threw the knife at him clumsily and glared at him the best she could through tears, "your such an asshole!"


	37. After Battle 37

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-seven**

**Cloud's new problem**

Cloud looked at her for a while, his gaze finally softening when he put together that it really was Artemis in there, it wasn't just because he was a girl now and it had made him moody. He let his knife drop next to the one that had been thrown at him and cautiously walked closer to Harmony, knowing he'd probably get hit once he was over there, and not caring one bit.

Harmony glared at him and tried to hit him the best she could with whatever strength she could find in herself. She ended up just hitting him lightly on the chest and crying more, "no...you meanie.."

Cloud gently took her hands and pulled her forward, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly despite any weak attempts she made at trying to push him away. A few tears escaped his eyes despite his internal rejection of the action. Harmony tried to get away but ended up to stop trying to get free and cried.

"Y-you were such a meanie for this..," she cried to him.

"I didn't know," Cloud said quietly. "I didn't mean to be." He had just been really oblivious and too focused on his own emotions to notice anyone else's. Harmony hit him one last time before letting her tears and emotions to just take over herself. Since being emotional was stressful already for Harmony she started to feel light headed. Cloud could tell that she was way past not being okay, so he didn't ask if she was. Instead he finally let himself smile over the fact that Artemis had actually admitted it, despite the fact that he was still crying a little. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, remembering that there was a crying girl-boy in his arms.

Harmony felt herself lean her head on him and her eyes went hollow not a few minutes afterwards, she stopped moving. The world around her went black in moments after she had stopped moving and when her eyes went hollow. Harmony was unconscious. Cloud looked down at her when she hadn't moved for a while, and almost had a heart attack upon seeing her like that. "What..the..fuckk?"

He shook her by the shoulders a little bit, like that would help. "Artemis?"

Harmony didn't open her eyes when Cloud shook her by the shoulders.

"Why did the yelling stop? Did something bad happen to them or something?," asked Alex curiously. Cloud started to get very worried. Why wasn't she moving? She was alright, right? She's breathing so that means she's alive, right?

Prism shrugged. "Maybe they're so angry that now they're whispering. Or having a super cuddle session. I dunno. Maybe we should go check on them?"

Alex nodded, "Let's go, because I have a bad feeling about this.. something about the quiet doesn't feel right to me," said Alex as he started to heard towards them. Prism followed him, wondering what could have possibly happened that would've stopped THAT argument. It had seemed quite intense.

"Alright what the hell," Cloud said a bit louder in his slight fear. What happened?! Did she fall asleep or something?!

Alex agreed, "Whatever happened it couldn't have been good because by now we would have heard someone getting their ass kicked remember?," said Alex.

Harmony still didn't wake up. She could hear him slightly but she couldn't wake up or move. "True," Prism responded, becoming increasingly worried and thus speeding up a little until she just decided to run. When she finally found Cloud he was staring at Harmony with a very troubled expression.

"What happened?"

Cloud looked over at his sister and sighed with relief. "I don't even.. she just.."

Alex came up from behind Prism to find Cloud looking at Harmony who was apparently not awake at the moment. He walked over to them and got a closer look, he looked at her with curiousness before he finally snapped his fingers together.

"Well duh this happened to her," said Alex. Both Cloud and Prism looked at Alex with matching looks of confusion and fear. They were about as identical as two fraternal twins could get. "What?" they asked in unison.

Alex sighed and looked at them.

"Think about it. Girls have a lot of emotions always running through them and which makes them very unpredictable at times and those emotions take a lot out of a girl in general depending on her mood. And guys they never tap into those emotions very often they lock them away a lot to not show weakness and to always be on their toes. But girls are always in touch with them so it's makes them stronger."

"And since being a girl for one whole night and with being in touch with emotions Artemis has never been in touch with this close before, it's a lot of stress to handle. It stressed his whole body and mind out," explained Alex.

"Ohhhhh," they both said, nodding in understanding and looking at Harmony.

"So.. he's just unconscious," Cloud stated, feeling stupid for having freaking out so much. "He's not dead."

"Wow, did you seriously think that?" Prism asked with a laugh. "Dumbass."

"Hey! He went from yelling and crying his eyes out to nothing in like two seconds, a guy worries, alright?!"

Alex face palmed how he had gotten stuck with living with these two idiots he would never know. But he had to admit it was fun to have someone make him feel smart for once in his life this time around.

"Anyways let's get back to the house and get her to a softer place to rest. And later we can go find Sora and Kirai," said Alex. Cloud sighed as he picked Harmony up. "You mean myyy bed," he grumbled.

Prism shook her head. "Oh shut up. Both of us just heard you scream that you like her, stop pretending you aren't looking forward to that."

This effectively shut Cloud up, although he did intentionally step on Prism's foot while they were walking. Alex sighed, "Either way she has to get some rest before Sora and Kirai get home so we can explain to Sora what happened and maybe find out why she freaked out," Alex explained to them as he remembered they had no idea why she had left the house.

"Oh yeah..," Cloud said with another sigh. "So many things to do. And we still have to hide Artemis from Primrose cause I really don't think she'll believe that sister thing.."

"You forget that she's a fourteen year old girl who owns a pink dagger and pouts over not getting lollipops. Honestly she'll probably forget that Artemis is gone four seconds after you tell her," Prism told him. Alex laughed when Prism mentioned the dagger and lollipops; he tried to contain his laughter but just had to agree with Prism about Primrose.

"W-well anyways she'll buy it if I change the story and say she's my sister, since she looked nothing like Artemis much unless I say I found we were cousins to make it more believable," suggested Alex.

"Yeah, him being your sister sounds better," Cloud agreed. "Plus she's capable of sleeping till forever; she might sleep through the whole damn thing."

"Alright then, Harmony is my sister then this time," said Alex with a slight shake of his head. He looked back at them for a moment to make sure they weren't falling behind as they walked back home.

Lilly was on the porch of the house staring into the distance as she waited for them to return home, she had woken up an hour ago wondering where they had gone.

"Ohhhh fuck," Cloud said, breaking the silence as they neared the house. "Lilly.."

Prism looked at him. "I was just thinking that too.."

Cloud sighed and stared at the ground for a second. "For now it never happened, okay?" He hated doing exactly what he didn't want to, but he couldn't exactly sort everything out with Artemis unconscious. Lilly laid on her paws again as she waited, when she finally saw them she sat back up and got to her paws and ran over to them. She slowed her pace when she saw Cloud carrying Harmony, she stopped in her tracks and gave him a glance before turning around and heading back inside on her own.

Lilly walked to the fireplace and laid back down and closed her eyes again.

"I think she's mad," said Alex.

"Well yeah, I'm carrying some fucking girl she's never see before." Cloud walked a little faster so he could get inside and explain this. "I hope she can be talked out of anger while being a wolf.."

"I would doubt that, from what I've heard from Sora about Lilly and getting pissed off it will be awhile before she's calm and out of wolf again," Alex commented blankly.

"Of course." Cloud slowed down again, now dreading the confrontation. "Why does she always have to be a goddamned wolf when something pisses her off?"

"Because maybe it's better for her chew out animals then maybe your throat and she probably knows that too," said Alex calmly. He placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder, "Don't worry I'll explain it."

Cloud sighed, already plotting out how to deal with all of this. "Thanks," he said quietly. That was one thing he didn't have to worry about. At least, not yet. "So long as she doesn't eat your head and chew out your throat you'll be fine and if she doesn't drop you like a hot potato either then you'll live too," said Alex.

Lilly's ear flicked a bit when she heard them enter the house but she didn't move. Prism laughed at that last part. "That's riiighhht, you have quite a choice to make darling," she said with a smirk at Cloud.

"Yeah yeah," he grumbled, walking past them and hurrying to lay Harmony down on a bed he randomly claimed so he could see how much trouble he would be in with Lilly. Lilly stayed still in her spot. When she heard them come back inside the house she opened her eyes and then got to her paws again and walked towards the kitchen back door and laid down.

Sora shook her head as she woke up in the tree house and she looked around, she saw Kirai not far away. She crawled over to him and started to poke him. Cloud exited the room and looked around the living room. He hadn't actually seen Lilly when he walked in. "Lilly?"

Kirai's eyes opened upon him hearing her move. He hadn't actually gotten to sleep. "Hey." He poked her back.

Lilly placed a paw over her head to cover her ears to ignore him now, she was mad and wasn't in the mood anymore.

Sora looked at him and smiled a bit as she poked him again. "Get up sleepy head," she said to him and gave him a kiss.

Cloud looked over to Prism. "Did you see her?"

She shrugged. "Nope. But coming from a girl's point of view, you really don't need to talk to her right now. It's also a very good idea to go in there and sleep in the same bed as her."

"Then where else am I gonna sleep?"

Prism pointed to the couch.

Cloud sighed heavily. "Again, of course."

"I've been up," Kirai said sleepily. "Did you know that it's hard to fall asleep in a random tree house of a stranger?" he asked, looking at her with a small smile.

Alex looked at her and back to Cloud with a shake of his head he headed towards the kitchen, "I'm getting some juice, you two are enough for the night," said Alex.

Sora looked at him, "The tree house is abandoned I just take care of it sometimes," Sora said to him with a smile. "So what do we do now?"

"Heyyy." Prism pouted at him.

"We can't be thaaaat annoying," Cloud said sarcastically, looking at his sister. Prism slapped his arm. "Go to bed."

"Psh. Love you too." Cloud flopped onto the couch and closed his eyes, only for them to snap open when he made an extremely frustrating realization.

"My knife is lying in the fucking street."

"We go home?" Kirai suggested hopefully. He didn't like being here, even if it was abandoned. He'd much rather be in a real house. Alex laughed when he heard Cloud remember his knife but made sure to not spill the juice with his laughing. Lilly growled and then got to her paws and started toward the living room and towards the front door.

Sora was silent for a second before she responded to his question. "Then let's go," she said slightly calmly.


	38. After Battle 38

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-eight**

**Morning struggles**

"God fucking dammit," Cloud growled into the couch cushion. "It's gonna get fucking ran over or some shit!"

"Then go get it, dumbass," Prism told him, lying down on the couch opposite to him.

"But it's aaaall the way back there," he complained.

"Yaaay~" Kirai said. He hadn't actually expected her to agree to leaving yet. He poked Sora lightly. "You'll be fine. I doubt you'll even have to see him, he's prolly asleep."

Lilly stopped a moment and glanced back to Cloud and then rolled her eyes at him and walked away from the house heading towards her pack.

"Well then if it gets run over it shouldn't break you know," said Alex.

Sora nodded, she started to climb out of the tree house and waited for Kirai to join her.

"Yeah, and either way you had like four knives in the first place," Prism pointed out.

"Not anymore.. I was using a spare one which I dropped, and Artemis threw one at me, and it landed next to the other one," Cloud said with a pout.

"Oh dear, only two left?" his sister replied, faking concern.

"Shut up."

Kirai decided it was easier to jump, and, not caring that he would most likely hurt himself severely, did just that. Surprisingly he didn't break either of his legs like he'd expected to. "Heh."

"I can make you new knives later if we go back into the forest and find the right metals in the stones. Will that make you happy?," asked Alex with a sigh.

Sora nodded and started to head back to the house, she dreaded going back to see her nightmare again but said nothing about it.

"Yes, yes it will," Cloud said, rolling over so he wasn't facing anyone anymore. "I'll go to sleep now."

"Thank god," Prism mumbled.

"I totally heard that."

"That was totally the point."

Kirai knew she was still scared but didn't say anything. At this point, talking about it would only make it worse. Alex rolled his eyes and sat down not far from Prism and set the glass of juice down on the table next to him and sighed.

"Today we get enrolled remember?," he asked her.

Sora walked slowly up to the door and peeked inside and looked around. "Awwwh maan," Prism sighed. "I reaally don't wanna go to school.. I have a feeling I'm going to end up hitting a lot of people.."

She looked to the door when she thought she heard something, but didn't see Sora and dismissed it as the wind.

"Well we have to go, and only Sora can register us now that Artemis is a girl he can't go to Battle High," said Alex. Sora looked around and then walked into the room quietly without a word. "Ohh snap. So now Cloud's going to school with Artemis aaand Lilly.. hehe. At least that'll make it more entertaining," Prism said with a smile.

Kirai peeked into the room from behind the door, not wanting to make any noise and blow Sora's cover as well as his. "Haha thats true, I wonder how that will work out for all three of them?," asked Alex as she glanced over at Cloud wondering if he could hear them.

Sora glanced at them before running up the stairs to her room and closed the door locking it. "Me too.. I kinda feel bad for him.. but then again he got himself into this," Prism told him. "I imagine it will be catastrophic."

Kirai stepped inside after a few moments and looked around. "Did she..?"

"What?" Prism was surprised to see Kirai here. "When did you get here?"

"Never mind that. Did I miss anything?"

Prism glanced at Cloud. "Umm.. nnoooope," she lied, nodding her head as she did so. "You didn't miss a daaamn thing." She pointed towards the back bedroom and then to Cloud, and then made a little heart with her fingers.

Kirai smirked at the younger twin, getting the gestures. "I see."

Alex nodded when Kirai fully understood.

"And that will make it worse since Lilly, Cloud and Artemis will all be at the same school. Sora has to register us now, guess what kind of hell that will bring up?," laughed Alex. He shook his head still unable to believe what had happened last night and was still imagining the hell that would be unleashed.

"Well that should be pretty awesome," Kirai said with a laugh. "Cloud's quite the player isn't he? Quite surprising that these many people like him actually-"

"Cloud can hear you," said player announced, his words muffled by the couch cushion. "Kirai is just jealous because he only has one girlfriend," he joked, putting one finger up to emphasize his point.

"Uh, excuse you; you have one girlfriend as well."

"Artemis counts as a girl for now."

"Are you guys really arguing about this?" Prism asked with a giggle. "Really now? If you start to fight about this I'm going to wake up Harmony myself and make sure she's the one to deal with this now," Alex warned.

"Or..I could go get Sora if she's back yet," Alex warned with more emphasis and smirked.

He knew neither of them would want Sora to come down pissed off to find out of what had happened the night before and to find out what Sora would do to them.

"No," all three of them said together. All of them knew that that was not, in any way, shape or form, a good idea.

"She would probably rip my limbs off one by one and then feed them to Lilly who would happily devour them upon discovering what just happened," Cloud theorized.

"And then she'd let Harmony have a go at you.. and it wouldn't be fun after what you guys just went through. She's still mad at you isn't she?" Prism asked.

Cloud only glared at her.

"I wish I could've seen it," Kirai said with a disappointed look. "Sounds like it was amusing."

"No. It was mostly us yelling at each other and then he broke into tears and passed out," Cloud told him.

"Also I lost my knife again."

"Heaven forbid."

Alex laughed, "Well if you don't want me to go and get her you two better knock it off. Because if not..then not only will I go get her, I will go find Lilly myself and tell her what had happened and I'm sure Cloud does not want a Shooter and a wolf on his ass. He may have one Shooter after him in a different method, but I'm betting he doesn't want the more dangerous Shooter after him now does he?," asked Alex with a laugh.

He made sure they got to hint to knock off the arguing. "Fiiine," Kirai said reluctantly.

"We weren't even really arguing yet," Cloud pointed out. "It was more like pointless banter. Because that's the only way we can communicate."

"Nobody said you two even had to communicate," Prism told him, throwing a pillow at him and hitting him in the head.

Cloud left it there. "Go away."

"Why don't you go to sleep already?," Alex complained as he was tempted to throw his juice on Cloud's head. He was already getting tired of the damn bantering and crap.

"Well I was tryyyying when a certain group of people decided to talk about my conflicts right in front of me," Cloud grumbled, closing his eyes anyway. "Shut up and I'll be able to sleep."

"Go to your room and sleep on the other bed dumbass..," growled Alex. Alex was starting to get tired now and was not realizing he was tired from staying out all night and getting no sleep at night. Cloud turned his head the other way to look at Alex skeptically. "There aren't two beds in there.." He hadn't remembered seeing one when he had put Harmony in there. "Unless I didn't see it? But I think I would've seen it.."

"Go sleep in Kirai's bed or something."

Kirai then proceeded to go upstairs and lock himself in his room, preventing Cloud from getting in.

"..or don't."

"Whatever I'm going to your room," Cloud said, standing up and walking upstairs as well, probably shutting the door to Prism's room a little too loudly.

Prism sighed. "At least he's gone."

Alex sighed in relief and started to fall asleep but shook his head to try and stay awake no matter what.

"I'm...not...sleepy...,"he said and then just fell asleep on his own instantly.

"I think you are incorrect, sir," Prism said quietly with a smile, and closed her eyes, eventually falling asleep like everyone else did.

Sora came out of her room after an hour had gone by. She looked outside her door for a moment in some clean clothes and walked down the stairs to the kitchen for some juice. She put some bread in the toaster and poured herself some juice, she then grabbed the bread from the toaster when it came up and put her juice in a water bottle then grabbed her small bag of money and attached a hidden blade in each of her sleeves and then ran out the front door quickly with some toast in her mouth.

She had left a note on the table letting everyone know she had gone to the store. Cloud, Prism and Kirai remained asleep for a while longer than Sora, until the twins both woke up when they heard a crashing noise.

Prism sat up on her couch and looked into the kitchen to see Kirai giving her an apologetic look and a thumbs-up to show that everything was fine.

She rolled her eyes and laid back down, pretending it never happened. It wasn't long until Harmony eventually woke up, she laid in the bed a little longer to try and remember what had happened but everything was foggy at the moment. She would remember when she was fully awake, she slowly sat up in bed and then got to her feet carefully and made her way for the door.

Harmony held onto the collar of her shirt to keep it up since it was bigger on her then she had thought. She made her way for the top of the stairs and slowly started to make her way only to fall and crash down the stairs instead. Cloud came out of his room, grumbling things about loud noises when he noticed the Harmony was on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Confused, he walked calmly to the bottom and sat on the first step.

"You alright there?"

Harmony looked up at him as she sat up carefully. She gave him a nod and yawned and rubbed her eyes before trying to standing up again. She looked around slightly confused. Cloud saw the look in her eyes and laughed a little. She was still quite sleepy, wasn't she? "I assume you don't remember much yet?"

Harmony looked at him a bit lost in what he said but simply nodded slightly. She looked around and shook her head a bit to wake up but found it only made her more sleepy again. She yawned again. Cloud patted Harmony on the head lightly. "You will once you wake up," he assured her, standing up and walking out into the living room.

He poked Prism until she opened her eyes and glared at him. "What."

"Morning to you too."


	39. After Battle 39

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle thirty-nine**

**Clothes shopping hell**

Harmony walked over to the living room rubbing her eyes and ended up sitting next to Alex and fell asleep on his shoulder. She didn't care who she was using as her pillow at the moment she just wanted more sleep and did just that.

Harmony just curled up on the couch next to him and stayed asleep, very comfy where she was at the moment. At the same moment Alex opened his eyes and looked around and saw Harmony had used him as a pillow.

"Uhh..."

Cloud smiled in amusement and Prism only laughed.

"Well. He's still tired," Cloud said. He turned and nearly ran into Kirai who was coming out of the kitchen. He narrowed his eyes at the slightly taller teen. "You made that noise didn't you?"

"No, those falling cups did."

Alex blinked a few times before he tried to wiggle free and lay her down on the couch and placed his jacket on her.

"There, thats better than using me as a pillow, I'm not that comfy am I?," he wondered, he remembered when Sora used him as a pillow at the base once. "You woke me up," Cloud said blankly, still glaring at Kirai.

Kirai looked back at him calmly. "Technically the noise is what woke you up."

"Jesus Christ shut up!"

"Don't start!" Prism warned. She glared at the two with icy eyes. "Cloud step away from the Kirai. Kirai if you go near Cloud I will stab you. Got it?"

The two gave each other one last look. "Fine."

"If you attack Cloud I'll kick your ass, if you attack Kirai I'll go Shooter on all three of your asses," Alex said as he looked at them reminding them the Shooters were still there no matter what.

"Now..before we tempt Green Rock, where is Sora?," he asked them changing the subject and making sure he made a flash of green fire. Prism laughed when she saw the flame appear. "Quit showing off your fancy government powers," she teased.

"She's in her room."

"When did she even get in here?" Cloud asked, looking around like she would be right next to him.

"Last night. You guys were too busy talking about your love life to notice her."

"Showing off? Oh my dear, that was only your one warning, if this arguing doesn't stop, you will all be seeing nothing but green," said Alex in a warning tone.

"Well if she's in her room why is there a note on the table?"

"Mmmmhmm. Sure," Prism said sarcastically. She knew he was being serious; she just wanted to see how he would react to her teasing antics.

Cloud blinked at him and went to go look at this mysterious message.

"Huh! Whaddaya know. She did leave. To the store, apparently," he announced, holding up the note she'd left. Alex gave her a look before turning to look at the note.

"Oh well...but we need to take Harmony shopping before we go get registered, she needs some actual clothes that fit her, those clothes don't work for her," said Alex. He couldn't believe he almost forgot about it.

"Oh yeah I forgot about that." Cloud sighed. "I guess he's gonna be a girl for a while huh.."

"Awh. Was someone looking forward to-"

"NO. Anyway is Primrose even still here?" Cloud cut off his sister. No taunting would be tolerated today. "I expected her to have wandered down here by now.."

"Well lets go get ready and take her to the store, school starts in a few hours which leaves us time to get ready and to take Harmony shopping and Primrose should be coming down soon," said Alex. He walked over to the bread and put it in the toaster.

"And Lilly should be back any minute too, she knows better now."

"Oh god we have to go to school the same day that we register?!" Prism asked, surprised. She groaned in annoyance and pulled on her hair, an old habit.

"They don't allow knives in school do they.." Cloud asked absentmindedly.

"No," Kirai answered.

Primrose came down at that moment, shaking her head to get the stray strands of hair out of her eyes. "Hi."

She looked around and was slightly confused as to why everyone was looking at her. "..what?"

"Nothing." Alex looked over at Cloud, Prism, and Kirai and couldn't believe they weren't even about to say anything, so he continued the conversation just the way they were talking a few seconds ago.

"Now since Harmony is here with us at the moment, she'll be here a while and need some clothes since she forgot hers and she's going to the same school. And we need to get her clothes before we get registered. Sora told us she would be there to register us anyways so come on, I'll go wake up Harmony," said Alex. Primrose didn't even notice her sleeping on the couch. She tilted her head at this 'Harmony' person, but didn't ask any questions. If it was important she'd find out later.

"Awh we have to go into the city? Someone always gets lost," Primrose said with a pout. She wasn't looking forward to school either. "And I really don't wanna go to school.. we'll all be so behind.."

"At least you'll probably fit in," Prism grumbled. "Shut up, and get dressed we all have to go," said Alex as he woke up Harmony who was yawning.

"Come on, you need to wake up for school..oh and Primrose I need to speak to you later," said Alex as he helped Harmony to the kitchen to sit her down and eat some toast. She stared at her plate for a few moments before picking a piece of toast up and nibbling on it. Primrose looked up from trying to untangle her hair. Why did that sound so scary. "I'm not in trouble am I?" she half-joked.

Cloud was rather surprised that she didn't ask about Harmony, but wasn't about to bring it up. He patted Prism on the head, knowing she was worried. "We'll be fine."

"No, you're not in trouble, it's about Artemis actually, if you were in trouble I wouldn't be the one talking to you," reminded Alex calmly. He made sure to glance at Harmony to check if she was still nibbling slightly at the bread which she was.

"I'll talk to you about it on our way to get Harmony some clothes."

Primrose froze and looked at him with a now worried expression. That sounded entirely too mysterious. "Is he okay?"

Cloud sighed. In his head he was yelling at himself, not knowing what to do about this whole situation. He also had Artemis to take into account. What would happen to Primrose? Would he even-

"Hey, stop," Prism whispered to him. "Worry about it when it comes along."

He only nodded. Sometimes having a twin who could practically read your thoughts could be a good thing. "He's fine, it's just last night he had to leave really quickly to get my sister Harmony, but then said he was going to be out for town for a while and wasn't sure when he would be home. But he said not to worry and he'll be back as soon as he can," Alex explained calmly.

He glanced up at the other two making sure neither of them would blow the cover, "So while he's gone Harmony will be with us," Alex finished off.

At the same moment Lilly came into the kitchen as her person self and said nothing to them and ignored everyone. She did though flick Harmony on the back of the head. "Oh.." Primrose looked off to the side, processing what he'd explained and thinking about why he would have to be out of town. She hoped he'd be okay. "Alright," she said quietly.

Now she would be extremely alone with everyone else around here.

Cloud looked over at Lilly and tried to catch her attention but to no avail. Maybe that was for the best at this current moment, what with Primrose standing right there; it might be a bad idea to get into things that involved Artemis at all. "He said he would send you a latter as soon as possible," Alex added carefully.

Harmony looked back to Lilly with confusion; she then went back to eating her toast.

After a half hour went by they were all ready and started to head to the store, "Which store first?"

Cloud looked at Alex. It couldn't exactly be called a glare yet, but it was getting close. "You mean we have to go to more than one?" he asked, his tone sounding rather annoyed. Alex turned back to him, "Well yeah...we have to if we want Harmony to have some clothes she actually likes to wear," said Alex with a confused tone. He thought Cloud would at least understand how a girl's mind kind of worked.

"Awh man..," Cloud said with a sigh. His parents had always bought clothes for Prism and himself, seeing as they couldn't leave the hospital they were in. They hadn't had the luxury of going to multiple stores. "Don't complain, if you want her to go to school in those boy clothes then I won't let you anywhere near her..hell I won't let anyone near her at all," said Alex.

Cloud looked over at Alex with an amused expression. "Someone got defensive. Either way I never said I wanted her to go in that.. I just don't feel like traveling to a billion stores with all of you."

"Yeah walking around with you is no joy either," Kirai remarked quietly.

Prism flicked him on the back of the head and glared at Cloud before he could retort. "No."

Alex glared at Cloud," Well I have to be defensive about my sister after it's my job as her brother remember?," said Alex, he smirked at Cloud.

Harmony shook her head and slightly hit them both on the head so that Primrose wouldn't notice.

"Well I don't like the idea either of spending time in a billion stores either but we have to," growled Alex. Cloud gave Alex a blank look. He'd completely forgotten that he was supposed to be Harmony's "brother". Now feeling like an idiot, he simply rolled his eyes and walked slightly faster. Prism matched his pace so they could carry on a whispered conversation.

"That was smooth."

"Aaahaha shut up."

"Aw, calm down. Everyone loses every once in a while."

"I don't. I'm Cloud."

"Not today you aren't, cause you just proved that you are also stupid like "the rest of us", as you would say," Prism looked at him, smiling at how hard he was glaring at the ground. "You're not actually upset about that are you?"

"No. Why would I be upset about something as trivial as that? I'm debating shit in my head, shut up," Cloud grumbled to her, almost tripping over a rock in his concentration. Alex shook his head and patted Harmony on the head.

"You do know I'll need help right?," said Harmony.

"Ask Lilly or Prism," said Alex.

"What if Primrose finds out?, "asked Harmony with slight concern in her voice.

"She won't notice she thinks your my sister now don't give yourself away Harmony," warned Alex. Prism gasped when she cooked up a plan. Cloud gave her a skeptical look but simply shook his head and went back to thinking.

"Raiiiincloud," she interrupted him. "What's your favorite color?"

"You know my favorite color, Prism," Cloud sighed, annoyed at this. Now he knew how Kirai felt when he annoyed the shit out of him.

"I can't remember it."

"Unlikely. Blue you forgetful fuckwit."

"Heh. Thanks~"

"Do I want to know what you're planning?"

Prism shook her head.

Cloud sighed again. "Of course I don't.."


	40. After Battle 40

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle fourty**

**In store dilemmas **

"Let's go here first," said Alex as he lead them to the first clothing store that he saw and possibly hoped they would find something Harmony would want to wear.

"Hey Prism, help Harmony out would you, Lilly and I will look at some clothes over there for her," said Alex. Alex and Lilly were about to leave before he turned back around to Prism, "Oh and Prism..you may want to help Harmony find a certain clothing item she needs to wear under her shirts," Alex hinted.

After that Alex and Lilly left to go look at dresses and shoes for Harmony. "Gotcha," Prism said with a nod, understanding. She turned to Cloud and pushed him towards Kirai. "Go entertain yourselves elsewhere. We have female things to attend to and you're sure as hell not gonna wanna be there to witness them."

Cloud just stared at her, and Kirai, being more focused and getting the hint, pulled him away from the two.

Prism waved at them and then turned to Harmony. "Alright bro we gotta get you some undergarments."

Harmony blinked at Prism stupidly not quite understanding the point now of why everyone just split into separate directions.

"Uhhhhh...what?," she asked very confused.

Lilly and Alex looked through the dresses for clothes and Alex sighed in boredom, "Why did I agree to this?," he complained. Prism only laughed at her confusion. "Oh lord I'm going to have to explain everything aren't I?"

She sighed." Alright well, you've just become a girl, so now you have some.. accessories.. that are necessary?" She briefly glanced in the direction of a certain section of the store that was just for ladies.

"Are you getting my drift?"

Harmony blinked at Prism for a second before following her glance, she looked over and quickly her eyes went wide and then looked back to Prism.

Harmony refused to look back in that direction and turned on her heel an attempted to leave the store and walk out without getting a thing.

"No. Nuh-uh no way in hell am I going in there," said Harmony.

"Shush, you have to," Prism said, giggling at her reaction and steering her back towards the section by the shoulders. "It is absolutely fucking necessary. Unless you can go home and cook up a fancy liquid that's gonna make you a dude again, we're going in there and you are getting one," she informed her. Harmony crossed her arms and pouted as Prism forced her back to that section.

"You're fucking lucky I don't know which chemicals were used or else I would go back and make up that "fancy liquid"...I'm not going to enjoy this damnit,"she growled.

"It's not much of a pleasure for me either," Prism assured her with a pat on the head.

"Ahh, that's a much better idea," she said with relief when she spotted an employee. They would be able to help! "Come along dear~" she said, pulling Harmony along towards the lady.

"Excuse me ma'am? Do you know if someone could help my friend here? She needs help finding the proper..equipment," she asked politely. Harmony grumbled under her breathe and pouted looking away from the lady and Prism.

Harmony tried not to look at the two of them and tried not to start walking away again on her own and storm away into the streets and back home under the bed.

"Oh of course! Right this way girls," the lady said with a smile, like she did this every day. Then again, this was her job. She probably did.

"You're the one who wanted us to go to school, and you need one for it, so quit your whining," Prism whispered to Harmony while the lady was distracted with taking them to the changing rooms. "Shut the hell up! This was not part of my idea to be a fucking girl you idiot...I'll fix this in a few weeks," said Harmony with confidence and rolled her eyes at Prism.

Harmony was not looking forward to what was going to happen next.

Prism looked up from a magazine she'd found on one of the counters when the employee from before came out of the dressing rooms with Harmony. "All set!" she said."

Prism tried not to openly laugh at how horrified Harmony looked. Instead she stood up and walked over to them. "Thankyou ma'am! I think I've got it covered from here." She patted Harmony on the back.

"Alright dear, let me know if you need anything," the lady said, before attending to another awaiting customer.

Prism finally let out the giggle that she'd been restraining. "Didja have fun?"

Harmony immediately glared at Prism and since no one was in the section at the moment Harmony slammed Prism into the ground and walked off into another section. Harmony was cursing under her breathe in annoyance of what just happened and was ready to kill someone wishing she could fix her problem now. Prism remained on the ground for a good couple of minutes, just getting all of her laughter out while she had the opportunity. At one point she was sure that someone had walked by her and immediately ran away, but it's not like she knew them, so who cares?

It was when she heard Cloud's voice that she got up and followed the sound of it. She ran into exactly what she'd expected.

"Well y'know you're just a plain dipshit because that is the worst explanation I have ever heard," Kirai told the shorter teen with evident annoyance his voice.

Prism stepped in between them before Cloud could get his two cents in. "Nope. We're still in public. Stop. Cloud go save your boyfriend."

Lilly and Alex came running over to the same area and quickly shoved Kirai away from Cloud and took him to the shoe aisle with them, "What the hell happened?," asked Lilly.

Harmony walked through the store until she found a place to hide among the furniture area and hid behind a crib and refused to move so no one would find her.

"Come on Kirai what just happened tell us?"

"That guy's a fucking idiot! And I don't give a shit about his opinion anyway!" Cloud said, making sure he was loud enough for Kirai to hear.

Prism punched him on the arm. "Stop it. What the fuck is wrong with you. What'd you do this time?"

"I didn't do shit! He's over there criticizing me for what's happened the last couple of days-"

"With Artemis?"

"What the fuck else would it be Prism? He's telling me how I'm being wrong and shit for not telling Lilly-"

"That's because you are."

"I can't..tell you," Kirai said with a very irritated sigh. He looked at Alex and then glanced over at Lilly to try and indicate what he was talking about. Alex only sighed and shook his head as he remembered the night before and what Cloud had told them happened. But he remembered what Prism had told him about what she thought had happened that night as well.

Lilly growled and felt her anger already starting to refuel at this point and Alex quickly instructed Lilly to go on ahead and try to find something Harmony might like. Alex held him back, "I know it's wrong, but if you mention it here Lilly will go wolf and start killing people in this city and things could wrong and fast," Alex warned.

Harmony sat behind the crib and making sure to glance both way ready to run if she had to.

Cloud stared at his sister. You could see the suppressed rage in his eyes, which seemed a darker shade of cobalt than they usually were. "What?"

"Cloud, last night you had a full-on love confession with a guy who stabbed you about four times within the first four seconds of you meeting each other and you haven't even told Lilly yet," Prism said. When Cloud continued to stare, she shrugged. The statement explained itself. "You have a girlfriend, end of story. You're being a huge douche and I'm surprised that you, someone who's only gone through like sixteen years of heartbreak, could actually do that to someone."

"If I mention it ANYWHERE that's going to happen! He's such a fucking asshole!" Kirai exclaimed, and then sighed once again, trying to calm himself down. This was just really pissing him off.

"I'll try and keep my shit together until the days over but if Cloud doesn't straighten his ass up today I'm going to kill him and then burn his body so he can't be re-cloned."

"Get that you're pissed off as hell Kirai, I am too, but being raised in the government and trained there I've learned to suppress it more then I should," Alex explained calmly to Kirai. Alex placed a hand on Kirai's shoulder and looked at him calmly hoping to keep Kirai at the same time while he talked to him.

"Listen to me, she's barely got the hang of that wolf thing, she can phase in and out of it as she pleases. But her anger fuels it more still; try to keep her calm at least. And as for you, you need to leave the ass kicking to Lilly and Sora, think about it Harmony is still Artemis in every way and Sora will kick Cloud's ass first before she kicks Artemis's for this too. Lilly will murder Cloud with those fangs and claws of hers along with the help of her huge ass pack of wolves thats still growing over time," said Alex, "Now think about this, if Cloud fucks up, it's his fault and Lilly will return to herself when I first met her at the government slightly," said Alex.

"Ah shit no, I'm not letting just them beat his ass up, I have reason to do it just because he pisses me off," he said, not actually intending to go about what he was saying he would do. If he got into so much as a scuffle with Cloud it wouldn't end well for him. Kirai knew that.

"But he already has fucked it up." Kirai glared over at Cloud, who was now defending himself to Prism. "Either way he's in deep shit. If he wasn't a heartless asshole I'd feel bad for him."

"It's not like I wanted this to happen! I don't get pleasure from slowly crushing Lilly's feelings from a distance while she's unaware of the matter! It just.. happened, okay? I'm obviously trying to sort shit out so just.. get off my fucking case," Cloud said, the anger in his voice seeming to dissolve as he carried on his sentences, until it sounded like a sad whisper.

"Kirai. I swear if you even try to get into the cross fire more then you have already Sora and Lilly will both get on your ass for information. And I'm sure you know how hard it was calm to Sora and Lilly once, and remember our friend Red Rock? Yeah, she was fucking hard to calm down compared to Blue Rock, and the wolf will only aide in her anger. They will double team your ass so fast you won't be able to stand for months. Try not to get involved, I can't keep everyone calm at once and I'm trying to keep the Shooters calm as it is," said Alex as he tried to get that old fight out of his mind. He knew the other two still had no memory of the whole fight.

"I know he's in deep shit, and I know how badly this is killing Lilly inside, she will break at some point and tear him to shreds without warning at any moment. Just stay away from Cloud at school got it?," asked Alex. Kirai gave one last noise of frustration before he finally gave up. Alex was going to win this anyway. "Fine."

"Wait, does she know?" he asked, just wondering. It had seemed that Lilly had caught on just by the way she'd been acting.

"Well you're doing a good job of it anyway. At this point, you're gonna hurt Lilly or you're going to hurt Artemis, and with either decision you're gonna hurt yourself," Prism told him. Cloud felt like the younger sibling again. Sometimes he forgot that Prism was a whole six minutes older than him.

"Well that just puts me in a motherfucking pickle, doesn't it."

"Yeah. It fucking does. And you did it to yourself. Congratulations."

"No, she doesn't yet, but she's mad enough that my "sister" was being carried by Cloud remember? At this rate she will find out and she will murder the fuck out of Cloud," said Alex with almost a warning tone.

The last time Lilly had gone on a rampage as a wolf was in her government days and she was chasing after a traitor who she had trusted.

"Listen to me. The moment Lilly ever goes into a rampage you fucking run got it? Don't ask questions just fucking run because the last time she went like that, more than half of her team was murdered and six agent were killed trying to calm her down," warned Alex.


	41. After Battle 41

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle fourty-one**

**Kiki appears again**

"Fine," Kirai repeated. "But tell Prism that too," he said when a realization came to him. Prism would defend the hell out of Cloud, and probably get herself killed in the effort. He didn't want her dying just because Cloud was a fucking asswipe.

"Thank you, dearest sister, for the support," Cloud growled, glaring at the ground again.

"You're welcome, you insolent dunderfuck. Now go the fuck over there and pretend you're not a sexually confused ex-rapist/killing machine and do not touch Kirai or I will staple your manbits to a wall. Got it? Fabulous." Prism then spun around and went to go find Harmony.

"I will let her know, now, you go with Lilly, and I'll go find Prism. Do not fucking dare mention anything or even I will go Shooter on your ass, understand?," Alex asked him.

Lilly was in the shoes sections and there was torn cardboard everywhere on the floor torn and ripped to shreds already.

Lilly was fighting her anger; Harmony was still tired from the night before and ended up falling asleep in her hiding place. Harmony was curled up on the floor in her very large coat asleep and comfortable.

Prism skipped around the store despite her earlier spat with Cloud. Her tolerance of her brother's idiocy was higher than anyone else's, seeing as she'd lived with him all her life, and therefore that had had no effect on her.

Where exactly had Harmony ran off to? She had no idea.

"Haaaarmony?" she called lightly, not wanting to be too loud in the store. There were still people around.

She stopped in her tracks when she found Lilly. "Whoa. Did all of those boxes just collectively commit suicide or did you rip them all by yourself?"

"Alright, alright," Kirai agreed. He angrily flipped his hair out of his eyes. He made a mental reminder to get his hair trimmed when he wasn't busy restraining himself from kicking Cloud's ass into the next dimension.

Lilly looked up at Prism and growled. Her icy blue eyes were already showing in the light of the store and growled slightly at her and restrained herself from knocking Prism over already.

"Prism?," called out Alex, he had to find her before she found Lilly or Lilly found her. Lilly was pissed and did not need Cloud's sibling at her side at the moment either.

Harmony curled up more into her jacket not bothering to wake up to even the slightest sound at that point. Harmony was in a deep sleep and wouldn't be awake unless Alex or someone shook her awake.

Prism tilted her head at the sight of Lilly. She didn't look happy, and that sound she'd just made didn't make her sound like she was very joyful either. "Well it seems you're a bit flustered, I'm just gonna go away and probably not approach you for a while? Alright bye," she said with a small wave, turning the other wave and retreating.

"Yeah?" she responded to the call. Lilly glared after the girl and then returned to trying to restrain her anger that was still building very slowly and dropping all at once.

Alex turned and saw Prism not far off and walked over to her when he heard her reply, "Hey, I want to let you know, you may want to avoid Lilly for sometime. Her anger is on such a build that you won't be able to fight her off no matter how good you are," warned Alex.

He then looked around Prism, "Hey...wheres Harmony?"

"Yeah I've noticed. She had a bit of a disagreement with those boxes over there, poor things are ripped to shreds," Prism told him, sounding genuinely concerned, despite the fact that she was talking about a few pieces of cardboard arranged to form a rectangular prism. Hey, that's her name! Gee, what a coincidence.

Prism snapped herself out of her rambling train of thought and concentrated on what Alex had asked. "Hm? Oh, I dunno, I was looking for her when I ran into Madame Grouchiness."

"Yeah, well stay away from madame she won't be your friend if you're in her path," said Alex.

"How the hell did you lose Harmony of all people? She's tinier then you it's not that hard to keep track of someone smaller then you Prism," sighed Alex. Prism tilted her head at Alex with a smirk, and crossed her arms. "Really now, Alex? It's not? Did you not just lose me about four seconds ago, darling?" she asked.

"I'm not in charge of babysitting you Prism. That's Cloud's job, and anyways she's tinier then you and your supposed to help me keep track of my "sister"," said Alex.

"Oh heeelll no, if anyone's being babysitted here it's that excuse for a man, he's too whiny and has too much self-hatred to function by himself," Prism said, shaking her head.

She sighed and smiled at the fact that Alex always seemed to win whenever he spoke. "Alright childcare and size aside, I really don't know where she is, but I doubt she left the store."

Alex just rolled his eyes at Prism about Cloud, but she had a point in Cloud acting like a child at times.

"Hey find my damned sister already, if you don't find her you won't sleep for a month inside the house," Alex growled to her. He had to play the part of an older brother the moment someone passed by them.

Prism laughed. "Well shit Alex, you're acting like she really is your sister," she told him. "Go look over there, Lilly's in that direction so I'm going the other way. Don't let her kill you," she advised, turning to go look for Harmony in this store that seemed a lot bigger than it really was.

"Well she's supposed to be pretty much until there's a cure remember? So I'll have to be now go find her!," Alex said to her.

After she left Alex ran to meet up with Kirai and Lilly in the shoe section, "Kirai tell me she's kinda calm," Alex whispered to him as he stood next to Kirai watching an angry Lilly tear up boxes.

"Harmony where the fu-dgesicles did you go?" Prism asked, opting for a more safe word when she passed by a few children. Where could she have gone? It really wasn't that large of a building. Was she hiding or some shit?

Kirai shook his head, feeling rather scared while watching Lilly. Cloud was gonna get his ass handed to on a silver fucking platter. "No.. no I can't do that, lying is a sin," he whispered back. Harmony was laying curled up on the floor asleep in her jacket still and curled up hiding in her jacket.

Alex looked at him and then back to Lilly who was now just starting to calm down a bit and stopped ripping the boxes apart as much as she could without tearing off a shelf. "Fuckin hell Harmony, how do you hide in a clothing store?!" Prism asked no one in particular with a sigh. She started aimlessly wandering around until she came across a mysterious looking ball of fabric.

She kicked it lightly with her foot. "Please tell me your name is Harmony and/or Artemis."

"Should we try and talk to her?" Kirai asked quietly, wondering if she'd even noticed them standing there yet. She hadn't given any hint that she had. Harmony didn't react to Prism kicking her and talking to her. Harmony just curled up and hid into the jacket more ignoring everything around her. Harmony let out a small yawn.

"Hell if I know...it's almost scary to see her like that...you talk to her first," said Alex as he pushed Kirai forward a bit.

"Noo I don't want to!" Kirai shook his head and stepped right back into his former spot. "Nuh uh, you do it. You're more skilled and you got that Shooter business goin' on, you're less likely to die."

Prism glared at the mysterious figure when it didn't respond. Was there even anyone in there? "Heeeeeey." She kicked it more firmly this time.

"Do it or I'll shove a stick down your throat," said Alex as he pushed Kirai forward again. Alex made sure that he had a small blade showing just slightly and it let off a tiny glint for Kirai to notice it.

Harmony grumbled a bit refusing to wake up. "Fucking hell Artemis wake your lazy ass up!" Prism growled at her, determining it had to be her, because nobody else would put up with this for so long. She drew back and kicked her as hard as she could. "Get the fuck up!"

Kirai glared at Alex. He severely doubted that he would actually use that knife, but he'd had enough annoyance today and wasn't about to test him.

He sighed carefully. "...Lilly?"

Harmony laid on the floor for a moment with her eyes open, she was not happy. Harmony slowly moved to her inside pocket, grabbed a sharp set of scissors and then threw them at Prism.

"Fuck you too Prism," Harmony growled.

Alex smirked and then placed the blade back into his sleeve.

Lilly looked up from the box she was tearing up and looked at Kirai with calmer icy blue eyes.

"What?," she snapped slightly. Prism dodged the scissors but picked them up and stuffed them in her shoe. "You're welcome. Get up. Practically everyone is having a mental breakdown and we're still in a public fucking place."

Kirai blinked and realized that he didn't really have anything to say. Why did that always happen?

"Why exactly are you murdering innocent boxes?" That seemed like a decent topic. Harmony sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"I hate this girl crap...I wouldn't be so tired if I hadn't exhausted myself that first night," complained Harmony. Harmony was about to say something when her eyes widened and she saw one of the girls from Battle High at the school, they had an escort which meant something special was happening at the school. Harmony quickly got to her feet and was ready to turn and leave.

Lilly looked at, "Because the fucking boxes deserve it," she growled.

"Well too bad, you wasted your energy yelling at your secret boyfriend," Prism said, turning around to see where Cloud had gone when she saw someone.

"Oh shit it's that chick.." She turned back to Harmony. "When did you stand up and why do you look so scared?"

Kirai only looked at her. "I think we both know that's not the reason why..," he said, regretting it afterwards. That remark might get him hurt.

"Ugggh why are we heeere," Kiki groaned. She looked around, bored. "Why did we even come to a clothing store in the first place? That's like the dumbest location ever."

Her escort only rolled his eyes.

"Hey now, we're both bored out of our wits, the least you could do is contribute to the conversation."

"It's fucking Kiki..if she sees me she may find out I'm Artemis and not some new kid moron..she's stupid but not that stupid," said Harmony. She looked around trying to think of something quickly to get her out of this situation, "I'm on my feet to try and hide away from her," Harmony explained.

Lilly looked up at Kirai and her icy eyes came back brighter again and grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall next to her growling.

"Shut the hell up. Before I rip your throat out," she growled at him.

"Well you're screwed. Act like someone's girlfriend," Prism suggested. "I'd volunteer Cloud but he's missing and also she saw him with Lilly. So. You're just plain screwed."

"Whoa okay sorry," Kirai said quickly. He had expected that.

Kiki looked over at the sound of something slamming against the wall. "Kirai? Heeey!" She tilted her head at Lilly and then looked at him again. "What'd you do?"

"Kiki what the hell.." Why was she here? She was probably the worst person who could show up right now. Harmony looked both directions and then quickly thought of something, "We gotta find Alex," said Harmony, and she quickly ran off to find Alex.

Harmony ran around for about five minutes trying to find Alex and then found him, she saw Kiki already there but quickly recovered her composure and tackled Alex from behind. "Big brother, watcha doin?,"asked Harmony innocently and hiding behind Alex.

Lilly looked over her shoulder when she heard Kiki's voice and growled ever more, Lilly still had a grip on Kirai.

Alex's eyes widened when he saw Kiki and even more when he was tackled by Harmony and looked down at her.


	42. After Battle 42

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle fourty-two**

**Store complications in the group**

Lilly glared and then turned to Kirai and dropped him on his ass and then without warming she let her claws appear and turned around before Kiki could see them and as she walked towards the wall she slashed a whole shelf down.

Alex looked away from the very scary Lilly. Then looked back to Harmony, "Nothing much Harmony, where have you been?," he asked with a face. "Hidiiing,"said Harmony with a slight giggle, Artemis was dying on the inside.

Harmony then glanced up slightly and saw Kiki, she fell silent and hid behind Alex peeked from behind to look at Kiki. She had to act like opposite of Alex, in other words, shy, Artemis was dying so much now and held onto Alex's coat tightly.

"Who's that person?," she whispered to Alex. Kiki pouted up at Kirai and then laughed when he was dropped onto the floor. "Come on Kirai, I'll be fine."

"You say that every goddamned time," Kirai grumbled, standing up so he wouldn't have to look up at her anymore. "You're gonna get yourself hurt."

"So are you, hanging around all these people," Kiki replied, gesturing to the rest of the group. She gave Alex and Harmony a questioning look, but upon determining that she really didn't care what they were saying, looked back up at Kirai. "Now shush. Where is she?"

"I already told you. We don't know." Kirai spun her around and then pushed her gently towards the exit. "Bye. Say hi to Taiki for me."

Prism stood next to Alex so she could ask him something. "Have you seen Cloud?" she whispered, starting to get a tad concerned. "Harmony thats Kiki, she goes to the same school as Kirai, Artemis, and Sora," said Alex as he patted her on the head. He then looked at Prism, "No I haven't, but you better go find him before she does on accident, Cloud is still in a mood I'm guessing," guessed Alex.

"I'll go find him," said Lilly as she walked past them and shoved Kiki out of her way roughly and accidently and cutting her with her claws by accident.

Harmony looked over at Kiki,"She's weird big brother..why is she after your friend? And why does she care about Kirai in danger here? If he was in danger then why would I be here?," asked Harmony.

"Good point, you don't know how to fight so you'll be going to the same school as me where I can keep and eye out for you and as for an answer I have no idea," said Alex. Kiki ignored getting cut and looked at Harmony. "I'm weird? What are you, sixteen? And you're still talking like you're four? Yes, I am definitely the strange one here," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And she's after your friend because your friend seems to be under the impression that I'm not better than her, and that needs to be quickly corrected."

She looked back at Kirai. "Anyway. I don't have to listen to you, dear."

Kirai shrugged. "Never said you had to. But when you come back mangled and broken, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Fuck..," Prism mumbled when Lilly volunteered herself. With Cloud still on his man-period and in this relationship crisis, the last thing he needed was for Lilly to go find him. Harmony looked at Kiki and pouted a bit but said nothing more, if she had, she would've blown her cover of who she really was at that point.

"Leave my sister alone, it's my fault anyways since I always treated her like my baby sister until this age and besides. At least she has someone who cares for her and listens to someone who cares, she may not know how to fight that well but she's smart enough not to even bother with you since the questions were not directed at you dumbass," growled Alex. He held Harmony close to him protectively and made sure he couldn't let go of her.

Lilly walked down every aisle looking for Cloud and once she found him she tapped him on the shoulder carefully so as not to cut him.

"Cloud."

"Ouch. I'm gonna need some aloe vera for that burn, cause I definitely give a big enough shit to care about what you just said," Kiki said sarcastically, her expression looking bored.

She sighed. "This isn't as entertaining as I thought it would be. See you later Kirai~" she said sweetly, and then walked out of the store, followed by her apathetic escort.

Kirai sighed heavily once she was gone. "I do not know how Taiki can put up with that girl."

Cloud jumped about a foot in the air when he was tapped on the shoulder. "Whaat the fuck-"

He had been thinking hard about everything and hadn't even noticed anyone approaching him. He looked up from the ground at Lilly. "W-what?"

Alex rolled his eyes as Kiki left the store and released his grip on Harmony as she came from behind him and tried to ignore her performance just now.

Lilly looked at him, "Prism wondered where you were and so I came looking for you," said Lilly calmly. She crossed her arms and blew a part of her bangs out of her face and looked at him with icy blue eyes, "So come on, let's get going back to the others, we ran into Kiki and shit happened now come on," Lilly said as she turned to leave. Cloud stared at her, extremely surprised that she didn't scream at him just now. Maybe she didn't actually know. Then again, it was obvious that she did. Cloud cautiously followed her back to the group.

As soon as Cloud was in sight Prism rushed over to him. "By the way, as of now you're not allowed out of my sight, got it?" she asked with a serious tone.

Cloud glared at her, not liking the fact that she was using her authority against him. "Whatever."

Lilly glared at Cloud icily and then growled angrily as she started to take her claws and dig her claws into the wall angrily. She started to feel her anger grow more as the minutes passed and she knew she had to quickly get out of the store.

"I'll be waiting out in the fucking front of the damned store," she said angrily with a hint of her wolf growl in her voice. Lilly shoved her way passed Cloud and Prism and made sure Cloud was shoved into the corner of a shelf.

"Someone's pissed off as fucking hell," said Harmony.

"Yeah and guess who's fault it is," Cloud snapped at her, trying not to look like he was in too much pain from being slammed into that shelf.

"Uh, you?" Prism said. "Don't try and redirect that on her."

"He contributed as much as I did!"

"Not really no."

"Yes really, you dumbfuck. He did the exact same thing I did, and I'm getting all the shit for it just because my girlfriend isn't a fucking clueless pre-teen and can actually figure shit out!"

"Hey! I swear if it wasn't for this that would've never happened and if maybe you hadn't carried me from what Alex told me, and then you wouldn't be the one in deep shit. This is mostly your fault at this point," said Harmony with a narrowed gaze.

"Knock it off both of you. I'll say this one time Cloud and Harmony. You two had better fucking make a careful decision on who you want to be with, because if you don't find out. They will and you'll have a wolf on your ass, a Shooter and Primrose," Alex shouted at them.

"Now calm the fuck down before I go Shooter on your ass and Harmony with this new look of yours you have no control of your Shooter as a girl so don't try that one me," Alex said to Harmony angrily.

"Oh so was I supposed to just leave you in the fucking street?" Cloud asked, getting irritated again. "Yeah that would've been a great fucking idea, then I'd have you all up in my shit for that too."

Prism flicked Cloud on the forehead. "Shut up. Go back to thinking; you're less difficult to be around when you don't talk."

"I've already fucking thought about every goddamn thing there is to think about in the world."

"And have you made a decision yet?"

"No. I can't make a decision by myself, Prism, this whole fucking problem involves two people," Cloud grumbled to her.

"Then go talk." She shoved Cloud into Harmony and then pushed them both further away. "And don't stop talking until you make a fucking choice!"

"You moron, I could've easily carried her for you then you wouldn't be in deep shit," growled Alex. He watched as Harmony and Cloud were shoved into a different area to make a decision.

Alex shook his head, "Listen while they talk lets go find her an outfit then come back for her and have her try it on," suggested Alex. He wanted to make sure they still got what they wanted for her and that those two would get time to talk.

Harmony crossed her arms over her chest and pouted as she looked away from Cloud. Prism nodded. "Good idea." Then she smiled when she remembered he plan from before. "And, for a reason I'm not telling you, it has to be blue."

Cloud sighed when he was left alone with Harmony. He'd hoped he wouldn't have had to have this conversation for a while longer. He hadn't straightened out his feelings enough yet, so he wasn't as prepared as he had wanted to be.

"So.. what exactly.. are.. your thoughts on our situation?" he asked slowly. Alex looked at her with confusion but thought it was batter not to ask, "Then let's go look at everything that would work for her then," said Alex.

Harmony looked away from him pouting still; she then gave it some thought and slightly looked up at him with bright blue eyes.

"...I..I feel bad for doing this to Primrose...but...,"Harmony slowly tried to put her words together. Prism giggled with delight when he didn't question it and skipped off to go find suitable choices, pulling Alex along. No matter what Cloud said, what she was going to do would only prove that Prism was indeed the best sister in the world.

Cloud only looked at her, having an idea of where she was going with this but not wanting to jump to any conclusions. "..but..?"

Alex grumbled as she pulled him along but smiled when he knew it was only because she had some plan in her head that involved tormenting Cloud at the same time

Harmony didn't say anything yet for a minute as she stood there with Cloud,"...But...I...I really like...you," Harmony whispered the last part just barely so that Cloud could still hear her. Cloud tried to keep himself from smiling but failed miserably. He looked down at the floor. "Goddammit Artemis you are not making this very easy," he said with a bit of a laugh, but it sounded slightly nervous.

"I suppose that. I. Um... yeah I pretty much feel the exact same fucking way so..," he said quietly, looking in any direction that wasn't Harmony's.

"Well neither are you," said Harmony with annoyance in her voice and then slightly looked up at Cloud then quickly looked away from him. She looked at the wall for a moment and waited for the rest of Cloud's answer and said nothing to him, she felt her nails digging into her arms as she waited.

"Prism..do we need this much blue?!,"Alex asked him surprised as how much he was carrying.

"Yes, yes we do." Prism said with a nod. "Oh wait! I'm pretty sure Cloud likes purple too, considering his sword is purple and also his knives were slightly purple as well, so we can substitute some of this blue for that," she declared. This was the best plan. Ever. Because she already knew who Cloud was going to choose.

It would be quite obvious if you were his twin sister as well.

Cloud coughed a little. "So I guess.. that.. w-what I'm trying to say is.. that I'm.. choosing you? I guess that's how I should word it?" he stuttered, still refusing to look at her except for in quick glances to gauge her reaction.

Alex laughed a bit, "Well if this is everything, we should get going back to them and get her into these things and have her pick the damned outfit already cause I don't like carrying blue," said Alex teasingly.

Harmony looked up at him quickly when he told her his decision. She blinked stupidly for a couple of moments confused at first and held her breathe as she looked at him. She was surprised at his answer at first before she knew it she had her arms wrapped around him.

"Mnah," Prism said, sticking her tongue out at him in response. "You think they're done professing their love yet?"

Cloud laughed when he was hugged, but reciprocated the action nonetheless. "Damn, are you gonna be this affectionate when you turn back into a guy or should I cherish it now?" he teased.


	43. After Battle 43

**Battle high: not your average high school**

**After Battle fourty-three**

**Cloud sees Harmony's new look**

"Probably for all I know..now can we go back yeeeeeetttt?,"complained Alex as he carried the damned stuff. Alex then stuck his tongue back out at her.

Harmony looked up at him, "Might as well cherish it now, unless you want me to stay a girl for good?," asked Harmony.

"Nyaaaaa, fine, but walk slowly. We could end up interrupting something," Prism told him. She poked his cheek in response.

Cloud merely blinked. He hadn't thought about that yet.

"Well that's a good question.. honestly I don't really mind either way but if you turn back into a guy you might start hating me again," he said, sounding almost a little bit scared. Almost.

"..unless you actually liked me this whole time and you just didn't tell me because you're a meanie. Either way you should be the one determining your gender."

"Alright fine," sighed Alex. He looked at Prism and smiled at her.

Harmony had to think about that for moment, Cloud had a point in the whole returning back into a guy. If she were to return as a guy she would have to pretend to hate him around the others, but if he were a girl the whole time he wouldn't have to worry about that at all.

Harmony had to make her decision and fast, she was about to make her decision when she had an idea, "I'll stay as a girl...but I can split my male side from me, that way you don't lose and neither dies Primrose," said Harmony slyly.

"I haven't heard any yelling so it probably went according to plan," Prism said happily. She was just really excited about this. She'd always thought something like this would happen.

"That is going to be really weird," Cloud stated. "Especially since I'm still calling you Artemis. I guess I should stop that now. And I'm going to laugh if you end up arguing with yourself."

"So Primrose will get to keep her boyfriend, but Lilly won't," he said with a sigh. "That's gonna be fun.."

"Let's hope so or I'll kick someone's ass," said Alex. He made sure to poke Prism as best he could while carrying everything.

"It won't, because then the male half will only get the memories of Artemis not the Harmony memories, which the turning into a girl counts as a Harmony memory and won't remember anything of being a girl. Will only know Sora as his sister and I will change my memories and Alex's to believe we really are siblings and work on Sora's a bit," said Harmony.

"Someone's ass is going to get kicked regardless, and it's going to be Cloud's, because Lilly will kill him," Prism stated. "And if you poke me again, you will as well," she threatened.

"That's still gonna be really weird," Cloud said slowly. "But better than the alternative."

He sighed. "Well I have a lot of explaining to do to Lilly don't I.."

"Well if she kills him then...I'll have to go Shooter on her before she kills him and crushes little Harmony," said Alex. "Oh really now? You wouldn't hurt me now would you?," he asked innocently.

"Either way, you still win," said Harmony.

"She's going to kill you isn't she?, "asked Harmony with a questioning tone. "That's a good plan." Prism gave Alex a look. "Do you want to find out if I would?" she teased.

"Yes, and knowing her she won't do it in a non-painful way," Cloud said, already picturing the conversation with her. "Man this is gonna suck."

"Well can we hurry up and get Harmony into these?," asked Alex. "The no hugs for you," he teased back.

"Well then...I need to work on Shooter again," said Harmony. "Yeah come on, I declare them finished," Prism said, quickly walking in the direction of where she'd pushed those two. "And, you don't get any hugs either then," she told him.

"Oh yeah, are you both gonna be a Shooter? Or just him?" Cloud asked. He hoped it would only be one of them. Then he wouldn't have to worry about his girlfriend nearly killing him if they ever got into a fight. Alex nodded and called out to them, "Okay you two, your done Harmony get your ass out here so Prism can dress you up like a barbie doll," Alex called out. "Then I won't love you anymore," said Alex.

"You're gonna hate me for this...but it's gotta be both or else if Sora finds out there's no Shooter in her brother then were fucked," said Harmony. Prism looked at Alex with a pout. "Yes you wiiiill."

"God dammit," Cloud grumbled. "Ah whatever. Looks like you're wanted right now anyway," he said, pointing to Prism who was smiling at her with a hint of evil in her eyes.

"Not if you keep teasing me," said Alex as he looked at her with a teasing laugh and then looked up waiting for Harmony.

Harmony looked at Prism, unsure of what that look in her eyes was, but she was afraid to find out and had no idea whether to go towards her or not. "...That look doesn't say its good.."

Sora walked down the streets of the city looking for the others now, guessing they might be somewhere in town before registering for school. She had a small bag of lollipops in her hand; there were only about six lollipops in the bag. She had one in her mouth and then decided it would be best to try and to find them from a higher spot. Sora looked ahead and saw a wall not far off and she jumped onto the wall. She looked around a lot, but she didn't see them, although she did find the one person she didn't want to find, Kiki, "What the hell? Why is the school letting us out with an escort?"

"Meanie," Prism said, poking his side.

Cloud narrowed his eyes at his sister. "I know that look.. she's planned something and it's gone perfectly well. Be careful," he advised her, giving Prism a look that meant to ask 'what's going on?'

Prism only smiled at him. Harmony stepped away from Cloud and walked slowly towards Prism, "What are you planning Prism?," asked Harmony.

"Hey Kirai, where's Sora at?," asked Alex, he just remembered that they had never found her yet.

"I think a better question might be what am I NOT planning," Prism stated, patting Harmony on the head. "Come along dear you need to wear this~" she said, pulling her along towards the changing rooms.

"I dunno. That note she left didn't reveal much," Kirai said with a shrug.

Harmony looked at her with curious eyes and then at the clothes in her hands and got worried, but followed Prism, "So what exactly did you pick?"

"Well should we maybe suggest for Lilly to go find her or something? I mean she's outside and wants the chance to cool off, after how pissed she is," said Alex with a curious tone.

"Heh, you'll see my dear. I'll just say that while wearing this you will succeed to drive your dear boyfriend insane," Prism said with a nod, pushing Harmony gently into a dressing room and handing her the outfit, before closing the curtain in front of her.

"Put it on, kid," she said with a giggle.

Kirai sighed. "Yeah, I guess. But I doubt she'll find her.."

Harmony stood in the dressing room a second before she started to change into the clothes Prism handed her. Harmony looked at every piece for a second before placing it on herself and looked at herself in the mirror once it was on and was confused.

"It's on," Harmony called out.

Alex nodded, "Yeah but it's still worth a shot," said Alex.

"Eheh. Lemme see!" Prism said, trying to contain her smile. This would be fun. "Hey Cloud c'mere!" she called over her shoulder. He needed to see this quickly.

"Now we just have to talk to her again," Kirai said with a sigh. Talking to her once was scary enough.

"No! What the hell is this?! I'm not coming out!," Harmony shouted back to Prism as she stood in the dressing room unmoving. There was no way she was coming out in this, why would Prism do this to her?

Alex nodded, "Yeah that was a death wish but we have to in order to find Sora," sighed Alex.

"That's an outfit, and I'm sure you look fine! Now get your ass out here!" Prism yelled to her, glaring at the piece of fabric concealing her. "I will rip this fucking curtain down."

"Whaaaat do you waaant," Cloud asked, confused as to why his sister was yelling at a curtain.

"Sh. Stay."

"Nnnooo," Kirai said, gently pushing Alex towards Lilly, "yooou have to."

Harmony glared back at the piece of fabric in front of her that kept her out of Prism's sight for the time being. She heaved a heavy sigh before pulling the curtain aside and looking at the ground as she exited from the dressing room, "Happy now?"

Alex chuckled, "Alright alright I'll go talk to her now, and you can stay here with Cloud, Prism and Harmony all alone," said Alex in a calm tone. "Then why'd you call me over-"

"Aaaahha I am good at picking out clothes!" Prism giggled out when she saw Harmony. "Yes, yes I am happy now. Also Cloud is happy now he just won't admit it."

Cloud gave Prism a look but didn't try and defend himself.

Kirai shrugged. "I've been through worse. Have fun. Don't let her eat you."

Harmony looked away from them and pouted as she tried not to launch herself at Prism and tackle her to the ground and kill her. She instead started to turn back around and head back towards the dressing room again to hide from everyone again.

Alex nodded, and raised his arms and started to walk back to the store entrance to go talk to Lilly, "Hey Lilly," said Alex calmly.

"What?," snapped Lilly.

"Noooo get back here lady," Prism pulled her back and spun her around. "You can't hide forever so you might as well get used to wearing this," she said with a cheerful smile.

"Heehee~ Cloud tell your girlfriend how cute she iiiis~"

Cloud only smiled at Prism, but it was obviously forced. "Lilly's not here."

Prism slapped his arm. "You're gonna get hit harder than that if you keep sayin' that shit, boy," she warned him. "Go break up with her."

"I can't just go and do that."

"Actually you can."

Harmony crossed her arms again and looked away from them; she tried to ignore the conversation going on between the two of them.

Alex took half an inch step back before he continued to walk towards her and sat down on the ground next to her while she stood against the wall trying to not go kill someone just yet.

"So what do you want?," growled Lilly as she looked down at him for a moment and then looked back up. Alex shook his head keeping calm around her, "Well we were wondering if you could go find Sora for us. She isn't with us and if she runs into Kiki it will only cause for hell in the city," said Alex.

Lilly gave it some thought before nodding, "Yeah..I'll go find her..it will give me a chance to clear my head and maybe save the city in time before damage can be done too," sighed Lilly. Alex glanced at Lilly and nodded his approval, it would get her mind off of Cloud and at least get her time alone away from the group and a chance to think over what happened today so far.

Lilly heaved a sigh before she started to walk off to go find Sora, Alex watched her leave with a sigh of relief, is she stayed any longer he might have had to put a leash on that girl. After he saw that she was out of sight he got back to his feet and started to walk back into the store and found the others where he had left them. Harmony looked away from them and refused to even glance at Cloud, she had a light blush spreading over her face while she stood there waiting for the chance to finally go back and get out of these clothes. She did not enjoy what Prism had picked out for her to wear.

Prism had picked and outfit made mostly of blue and white; the shirt was long sleeved that was the color blue, the cuffs of the shirt were white while there was a greenish-blue stripe going down the sleeves. The shirt had the same stripe going down it on the front starting from the shoulders, where there were two small puffs that were white and then ended in a "V" shape at the end of her shirt. The shorts had the same color style as the shirt did, but had two straps on the waist that were hanging off the greenish-blue belt. Over her shorts was a skirt, which started out a solid white color at the top and started to fade into a transparent color so you could see the short underneath the skirt, the skirt was embroidered with the same greenish-blue color. There were two small black buttons on the top part of the skirt neat the belt for decoration that Prism had added for fun.

She wore leggings that were white, on one it had the same colored greenish-blue color on the inside, and on the other it had two stripes at the top of the legging and down on the outside of it was well. Her shoes were a sky blue color with a slight heel on them, not too much so she wouldn't fall over, but just enough so they were easy to walk in. She wore fingerless gloves on her hands that were black that had light blue stripes on then that had one stripe going from the wrist of the glove to the middle of the finger parts. At the collar of her shirt she wore a black and light blue stripped tie; she had on a cape/jacket. A blue bow was at the front keeping it tied around her on her shoulders; it was pointed at the long ends of the cape/jacket at the bottom in the back and at the short front of it as well and they formed a "V" shape. On the inside of the cape/jacket it was a slight dark-light blue color and on the outside it was black. And to top it off she was wearing a hat that was white on the top part of the hat, and on the left side of the hat where it was folded up was a solid blue color, and on the right side folded up was a stripped black and blue design, around the edges of the hat were solid black. And there was a pin on the hat that looked like a black and blue pin that looked like a target if you looked at it carefully enough.


End file.
